Free Reign: A Star Wars Story
by SerpentBane007
Summary: The story of a crew of scavengers and mercenaries seeking freedom from both the Empire and the Rebellion. But how will the arrival of two different strangers alter their course? (I'm horrible at summaries) All OC cast. Co written with a close friend of mine who also did the cover art. Please review and critique.
1. Prologue: Run

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs. Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. Many thanks to my co-writer ( zazabelle on Tumblr). Please review and critique this tribute to the characters of SW who are never spoken of, the ones who only wished to survive.

Rating: T (sci-fi violence and language)

 _The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion._ \- Albert Camus

The fire, the smoke, the agony.

I couldn't breath.

I couldn't think.

I didn't want to anymore.

The closet door had caved in on me during impact, I couldn't tell if my vision had gone dark or if I was being smothered to death. There was blood coming out of me somewhere I could feel it. Gashes, bruises, blood, I didn't want to move. My lips tried to open, they tried to make a sound come out of me, but nothing worked.

What do I do… What could I have done?

Suddenly, I felt something tug at me. Pulling at my heartstrings.

My guide was still with me.

My mind snapped back into place.

 _My guide! My guide please help me!_ My thoughts screamed in panic as the fog in my mind began to clear and the smoke in the room thickened.

I began to wiggle under the weight of the door as I tried to pull myself free.

I saw the fire rise in the hull of the ship, and with that I found my voice.

"Please! You told me this was going to happen! I tried to warn them! Why didn't they listen!? Why won't you help me!" I screamed as tears ran down my face with the taste of soot gathering around my lips.

I built up pressure in my head to try and use the guide. Everything in the room began to become connected in my head. I felt everything. The rapid vibration of the fire. The energy draining from the ship's hull and the draining of… no.

"NO PLEASE! MOMMY HELP ME! SOMEONE!"

I screamed for my mommy, I felt her. Her energy draining with the ship. I felt my family. All of them. Dwindling.

I screamed as the pressure in my head was released.

The door fell away.

The guide desperately pulled at me.

The path was clear, there was somewhere else I needed to be. But I didn't want to go. There had to be something I could do with all this power, with all this rage. I could stop their energy from draining. I could stop their death.

I ran from the path. I ran to my mom. My seven year old legs propelling me on through our burning ship.

The guide still telling me where to go. But this felt different, it felt… wrong. Nonetheless, there she was, shrapnel piercing her skin all over. Her blood spilling out.

"MOMMY!" I ran to her side, her eyes barely focusing.

Her head lolled to her side as she turned to look at me.

"Vis… Go… Please…" she whispered above the sound of my crying.

"I won't leave you! I can fix this! There has to be another way!" I built up the pressure in my head and placed my hand of her as I tried to make the guide fix this.

She took my hand and she took a breath.

"Vis… I feel it now. All those times you tried to explain it to me. The connection to everything. I. Can. Feel. It." Her breath labored, "The guide you talk so much about. Your path does not lay here with me. Your connection, I… we, will never leave you. Your guide connects us. Follow it's path. You can see it. I know you can… Find what you're looking for. I. Love… you…"

Her energy left.

It was gone.

And yet, the guide was still there, so quiet amongst the raging flames, but it was there. The path was clear. The future uncertain. And all I could think about was my mommy laying in the crashed ship that was my home, now burning on a planet I didn't know.

I stood, the guide almost pulling me along by my empty hand as I walked numbly through the smoke filled ship. It took my hand, I would grab an object, and this continued as I shuffled past the bodies of my adoptive scavenger family. I couldn't make the connection cut off, it was the only thing making me walk, but their pain swelled over my body and it was a silently awful relief when I felt their energy slip through my fingers and meld into the guide's path. I was being puppeted, and I felt the familiar pressure in my head trying to snap me back to thinking.

"Please. Just, keep telling me what to do." I choked out as I looked at the trinkets the guide had told me to pick up, one of my tears falling and rolling off the smooth stone my mother loved so much.

The guide flowed on, directing each one of my hollow legs towards the bundle of cloth lying on the ground. The captain's green trench coat. My chest sputtered as I became wracked with tears. I picked it up and hugged the favorite thing of the man that had helped raise me. I felt his bravery in the cloth. It flowed into me as I continued to let the guide push me down the singeing walls of the hallways, down the breaking stairways, and out through a hole on the ship's hull.

I watched as my feet walked through the moist dirt of the dense forest that surrounded the broken ship. I looked down at the trench coat in my arms, as tears kept streaming down my face mingling with the blood running out of my nose, I slipped it on.

In my hand still, I looked at the trinkets of the family who had loved me, the family who had taught me to keep looking for all the paths I could take to find what I was looking for, the family that accidentally introduced me to the guide, the guide that always showed me the way.

I wanted to look back… but there was a new path. I sensed something hiding in the forest. A place I would grow to love. A place I would grow to protect and avenge for the family I couldn't say the same for.

"Where are we going?" I asked as the guide kept pulling me on.

And for the first time, it answered.

 _Home_.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"The vault is sealed captain. The goods are likely still intact." A robotic voice calls out from across the derelict transport ship.

The old CIS droid, a BX series commando droid, crouched at one of the many sealed doors, its connector plugged into the one of the ship's control boards as it scans for the contents of each room. The droid looks over at his organic partners, it's chassis is worn from age but still durable, with a line of fresh white paint down its face and a white eagle emblazoned on its chest. He beckons the two over.

"Lerti, pass BX-19 the breach charge." The voice commanded from behind the sealed faceplate of his spacesuit.

"On it captain." A third voice responded.

The Mandalorian female of the two, clad in red and dull white armor, hands the explosive to the droid, who applies it to the sealed door of the cargo vault before walking off a few feet and hitting the detonator without warning.

The captain and Lerti jump back in surprise, their arms shielding their faceplates.

The charge creates a small explosion, shattering the handle, allowing BX-19 to pull open the vault door and inspect its contents. Five light brown cargo containers, left by the ship's former occupants as they fled towards the escape pods.

"A little more warning next time BX?" Lerti asks curtly as they approach the broken door.

"Might I remind you that we need to move fast? What we are doing is not legal, and I didn't realize I needed to be your babysitter." The droid retorted, obviously mimicking the sarcastic voice of another crew member.

"Okay, we got the goods. Now let's load them up and get out off this wreck." The captain ordered as he grabbed the first crate, his two companions following suit.

Silence went through the comm.

"Cholmon! Are you listening!?" The captain nearly yelled into the comm.

"Ya sorry! Roger that captain." The pilot, a Mon Calamari, responded over the comm before going back to lazily tracing the edge of the control panel in the cockpit of his Simiyiar-class ship.

He could spend hours tracing the delicate, ornate curves of the Raving Titan, lost in the beauty of its design. He listened over the comm as his crew began loading up the cargo, only half paying attention to the empty space around him decked in escape pods while the transport ship sparked.

Suddenly he was startled out of his daydreaming by a soft beeping sound, sending a shiver down his spine as he hoped against hope that it wasn't what he thought. Quickly knocking several items off the panel he examined the radar system, a stream of curses rolling off his tongue in Mon Cal.

"Soron we have a major problem. Imperial Star Destroyer incoming."

"Druk! Have they scanned us yet?" The captain growled over the comms.

"I don't know, no way I can tell from here."

"Alright shut it down. Everything but air systems. BX, Lerti, double time it now!" He commanded as he increased his pace as much as he could, the other two following suit.

Back on the ship, the pilot began struggling to shut everything off.

"Nek! Get up here now!" The pilot yelled over his shoulder.

Thirty seconds later a relatively short Devaronian sprinted through the door, panting slightly.

"What is it you need Cholmon?" He asked nonchalantly, as if there wasn't a Star Destroyer bearing down on them.

"Get your red behind down to the engine room, shut down everything!" Cholmon shouted, clearly not in the mood.

"On it, no need for such nastiness." Nek replied with a druk-eating grin, quickly fleeing from the Mon Calamri's scowl.

"Talk to me Chol, how's it looking up there?" Soron asked as he approached the cargo door.

"I can't tell captain, they seem to be ignoring us." Immediately the radar system began to beep rapidly.

"Nevermind, they just deployed TIEs. ETA 3 minutes." Chol groaned.

"Everyone in now." Soron commanded as the other two passed by him onto the ship with the goods, the door closing behind them. He quickly took his helmet off, revealing his black furred Shistavanen appearance with glowing yellow eyes.

"Lerti, man the left turret, I'll get on the right. BX, get to the cockpit and be ready to have Chol use the ion cannon." He then took off on a dead sprint towards the cannon. Sliding into the seat and putting on the headset he quickly contacted Nek over the backup comms. "Nek power the engine back up, we'll be cutting this one close. And make sure the ion cannon is prepped."

"On it boss." Came the reply.

The sleek ship powered back up, accompanied with a pleased grunt from its pilot, and pulled away from the derelict ship, turning to face the incoming swarm of TIE fighters. Chol turned the Titan to face the swarm, turrets already working to eliminate a few fighters.

"Any day now BX." He growled, itching to fire the ion cannon.

"Wait for it." The droid responded.

"They're closing in, I have to fire now!" The pilot panicked, seeming to forget the cool down time of the cannon and his finger hovering over the trigger. "They're almost on top of us!"

"Wait." BX continued, voice never losing its monotone quality. He clenched the back of Chol's seat, running through a million calculations at once, they couldn't afford to miss this shot.

The TIEs sped closer.

They started to fire.

"Now!" The droid shouted as the last fighter came into critical range.

The pilot blasted the cannon.

They chain reaction in the blast disabled most of the TIEs immediately and forced the rest to scatter. By the time the rest of the fighters had regrouped the ship had already escaped to hyperspace. Soron sighed as he collapsed into the gunner's seat, hearing the victory cheers from the Mandalorian across the hall.

 _Yeah_ , He sighed mentally, _we won. For now…_

The captain reached for the comms.

"Alright crew, let's take a look at this cargo that apparently 'the Empire doesn't care about at all.'" Soron said sarcastically as he started for the cargo hold. "I swear when we see Dordo I'm going to ask him for his definition of an easy job."


	2. Chapter 1: Just Business

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs. Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. So sorry for the long delay, live stuff has made it hard to upload. The next chapters should go up much faster, since me and my cowriter are almost done editing them. Anyways, enjoy this latest chapter and feel free to drop a review.

Rating: T (sci-fi violence and language)

Soron arrived in the cargo hold, the rest of the crew, minus Cholmon, already ringed around the crates that they had risked their lives for. He nodded to BX, who bent over and helped him pull the lid off the first container.

"Now then, let's see what we have...here." Soron's voice faded as he examined the contents of the crate.

The only sound in the cabin hold was the deafening vibrations of BX letting the crate lid crash to the floor as the crew stared in utter horror.

Food.

That was it. Food, some basic weapons that you probably find lying around in the street in an only slightly better condition, and some clothes.

"No, this can't be right." Soron muttered, scratching behind his left ear, his breathing increased and Nek's morbid chuckling became an unpleasant background noise. "Check the next one BX."

"Captain there is no error. These are the goods Dordo hired us to collect." The droid responded dryly. "And no, my circuitry does not need to be checked." He said to Lerti, cutting the Mandalorian off as he saw her mouth open to argue.

"But… what? Why would he have us risk our lives for some damn fruit!" Soron exclaimed, only to be met with howls from behind him. Nek was curled into a ball on the deck of the hold, laughing to the point of tears.

"Just what the hell is so funny about this Nek?" Lerti barked, fists clenched in anger.

"The Empire wanted FRUIT!" Nek laughed as he stood up, wiping tears from his eyes.

"Can it. Both of you." Soron ordered, rubbing his temples. "Alright, let's reseal this crate. How long until we reach Basteel?" He asked Cholmon over the comms.

"Thirty minutes or so." Came the reply.

"Everyone suit up. Be back in here fully ready five minutes before landing." Soron commanded before climbing the ladder towards the upper decks and his own room.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The Raving Titan landed on the large landing pad of Elardo City, cold winds lashing its hull. It was placed in holding in one of the many caverns of the subterranean city, its gangplank lowering and allowing its crew to enter the bustling bazaar.

Slinging his 9118 heavy carbine across his back, Soron turned to his fully armed and armored crew. On Basteel one could never be too careful, even by Outer Rim standards.

"Cholmon, go find whatever parts the ship needs to keep flying, and add fuel to that list. Lerti, see if you can sniff any jobs out of our usual clients. Be sure to check up with old Leatherface in Lynwood Cantina. BX, you're with me. And Nek, you're staying with the ship this time. Try not to wander off."

"Aye aye captain." Nek drawled, plopping himself down onto the gangplank.

"Alright people, let's get this done smoothly and we can leave this cave." Soron said as he began to push the automated cart that held their cargo. BX fell into line behind him, right hand resting lightly on the hilt of his vibrosword as the rest of the crew fanned out across the bustling market place.

Soron and BX made their way down the main roads for the good part of an hour before arriving at the front of a dilapidated warehouse. Emerging from the crowd the two made their way towards the entrance, two human guards leveling their blasters at them. Both eyeing the droid nervously.

They waited for only a moment before a grainy voice called from inside.

"It's alright, let them in."

The doors were heaved open from the inside as Soron pushed past the guards, not paying them any mind. BX briefly stared at one, and judging by the reaction he got the guard almost soiled himself. If a droid could smile, BX would be split ear to ear.

The old warehouse seemed to stretch off for eternity in the darkness that enveloped the inside of the building. A few lights near the front of the room shone down on the posi surrounding and guarding the lone Dug reclining in the center of the room. Dordo looked up from the datapad in his foot and and with his free appendage removed the cigarette from his mouth.

"Greetings friends, it's been a while." He called, gesturing grandly with his hand-like feet.

Soron's fist came down on the nearest crate.

"Dordo, I am not your damn grocer. Please explain those." Soron growled, pointing an accusatory finger at the crates beside him.

"Ah yes, I was looking forward to your reaction." Dordo laughed.

"You think this is funny!? My crew and I risked our lives for those crates and THEY'RE FILLED WITH FRUIT!" Soron bellowed.

"Soron, I was conscripted to transport those supplies to a Rebel planet. One that was under Imperial blockade. The ship you scavenged from was shot down, I'm guessing the Empire came back to finish the job." He finished, replacing his cigarette.

"Is that the truth?" BX questioned, earning a glare from Dordo.

"What is it to you droid?"

"This is simply unexpected from someone in your profession. I was simply curious why someone as pragmatic as you would take up a relief mission." BX replied impassively.

"Well, I have a saying. 'I will do anything if the price is right.' And the price was more than right."

"Then why hire us? You know we prefer not to get tangled up in rebel activity." Soron asked, folding his arms.

"Unfortunately, the rebel's price has been right several times in the past and I can't afford the Empire tracking any of my men's ships back to me."

"And there's the Dordo we all know and love." Soron cut in, earning a slight chuckle from said dealer. "Now, I believe we have upheld our end of the bargain. Time for you to do the same."

"Straight to the point as always. Here." Dordo answered, holding a stack of credits.

"Where's the rest? This is not the amount we agreed to." Soron growled in displeasure.

"Well you did open one of the crates when I did not give you permission to do so, so your pay was reduced. So take the credits I am so generously offering you or go back to your ship with Imperial contraband. Your choice." He finished with a sickening grin.

BX let out a growl-like sound, one hand reaching for his vibrosword, the other going for his E-5 blaster. Soron grabbed the droid's arm as the various guards aimed their weapons at the two.

"Not this time." He muttered under his breath, right eye narrowing slightly.

BX took a step back, hands off his weapons.

Soron angrily snatched the credits out of the Dug's hand, stuffing them into his pocket before turning on his heel. "World keeps on turning Dordo."

"That only matters to the people on the Rim." Came the reply.

They kept walking.

"You would think you would've learned by now it doesn't seem to matter how much you pay or how much you gain, only that you become limited the further you string yourself along down that path, you lose your freedom."

Only a few steps from the warehouse entrance.

"What are you? A Jedi?" He laughed under his breath, "Are you sure you wouldn't like to take some of the 'special cargo' to feed that pretentious attitude?" Soron growled as the doors were heaved open.

The sound of stormtrooper's order flew through the opening.

"OPEN FIRE."

Soron and BX dove to the ground as blasts rained through the warehouse doors. The two crawling to opposing sides of the wide door frame and readying their weapons as they listened to the rhythmic sound of stormtrooper formations closing ranks on the building's only opening.

From inside, the two watched as the Gotalian hunter nearest to Dordo grabbed the Dug by the throat and placed a charged blaster to his head.

"Sorry boss, but you understand. 'Whatever pays' right? I know you're afraid but don't worry, the Empire won't hurt you as long as you tell them what they need to know." the Gotalian yelled into Dordo's ear above the firefight.

One of the guards turned to open fire from his hiding spot.

He screamed as five blasts hit him head on.

His body fell near Soron. The look of shock instilled in his face became mirrored in Soron's as he and BX slowly looked at each other from across the doorway.

"Shoot diagonally and use Dordo's capture as a distraction?" BX spoke.

"Took the words right out of my mouth."

From the door frame the two crewmates opened fire from their low point.

BANG BANG!

The Gotal was dragging Dordo from his chair.

BANG BANG BANG!

The Gotal stumbled forward with the writhing mass fighting in his arms.

BANG!

He stepped through the doorway.

BX aimed and shot at the hunter's leg.

"AH!" The burn mark smoked at his flesh as he fell to the ground.

"Why?" Soron asked as he jumped to his feet.

"The longer he has to drag Dordo to the transport ship the longer we have to run."

"Makes sense…" Soron watched as two stormtrooper ran over to assist the wounded hunter and his prey, "Wait for it… Now!"

The two ran out firing at the surrounding stormtroopers. Soron reached for his comm.

"Everyone! Back to the ship! Cholmon we need a pickup near our location now!"

The remaining posi emerged from the warehouse now firing back at the surprise party. BX grabbed at the vibroblade on his back.

Jumping from the ground, the battle droid swiftly jabbed the blade at the troopers as he came in for impact before landing and swinging the side of his body out to slash across the next bunch.

"BX! WE GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE!" Soron howled as he watched an Imperial ship landing in the loading docks, probably filled with more stormtroopers.

The droid turned from his calculations of mass slaughter to process Soron's words before throwing a trooper across the field by his bucket head and began his sprint towards the captain. Soron and BX made their move towards the market place.

"Need some help?" Lerti's voice came across the comms.

"Lerti? Sorry kinda hard to hear your voice above all the screaming and panic." Soron said as he began to shove his way through the quickly moving crowd with BX and at least ten stormtroopers close on their tail.

"Understandable. Just meet in the center square! I hear Cholmon is letting Nek borrow his baby."

Soron smiled.

"Well that is good news then!"

Running into the market square the trampling panic and fearful shouts suddenly turned quiet as the sound of blaster being loaded erupted from all directions of the square.

Troopers surrounded the square coming in from every street corner and roof top.

Soron and BX lowered their weapons as they watched the skies.

From behind him, Soron heard a man whispering to himself.

"Please. Not again. Please. Not again."

Soron turned to the blonde haired human starring at the dozen of stormtroopers, seemingly paralyzed. In the distance Soron heard the approaching sound of ship engines.

He grabbed the man by the shoulder.

"I would duck if I were you."

The wind gusted about as The Raving Titan suddenly veered overhead. The gangplank open to reveal Nek standing at the ready with Cholmon's Z-6 rotary blaster cannon and a huge smile stretched across his face.

"I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO TRY THIS THING!" Nek shouted from the ship as his hand went to the trigger.

Soron, BX, and the human fell to the ground along with most of the crowd as Nek demonstrated just how terrifying it can look when a Devorian shows off their devilish appearance behind the barrel of a gun. All around them the shouts of troopers rang out, quickly followed by another order to open fire.

Closer ranged blasters echoed behind them as Lerti stepped through the crowd.

"Hey guys! Lovely evening, right?" She fired again.

"Another day out on the town!" Soron grabbed his blaster.

"I take it you two are being sarcastic?" BX stood and joined the firefight.

The crowd began to thin out as everyone ran for their lives in every direction. The blonde haired man continued to stand close, revealing a small hand blaster concealed on his belt he quickly took aim and began to shoot off concise bursts towards the bucketheads.

"Not that I'm complaining for the extra help but shouldn't you be off cowering somewhere?" Lerti shouted towards the man.

"I am no coward and ze say third time's the charm right?" The man's harsh accent seeming to erupt over the shots. "And it seems anyone attempting to run isn't having luck with your man or the troopers so I'm good here."

From the ship, Nek continued to rain down punishment on the troopers, his hands seemingly unfettered by the rapid overheating of the weapon. He ceased for a moment as the ship lowered further to the ground and the crew made its way for the open plank.

The captain, Lerti, and BX climbed onto the ship, Nek ushering them in. The ship began to rise steadily into the air. They were going to make it!

A blast rang out.

Nek screamed.

The three watched as he went tumbling over the edge of the rising ship's gangplank.

"NEK!" Soron and Lerti ran over to the edge while BX stood watching and waiting.

They saw him sprawled out on the ground below. A clean hit had torn right through his shoulder, blood seeping out of the large wound.

He began to twitch and struggle to his feet as trooper began to make a run towards him.

"We need to leave." BX spoke.

"No way! We are not leaving without him!" Lerti screamed as the started towards the cannon.

"Cholmon keep the ship low! Nek's down!" Soron spoke into his comm.

"Wait down there or, like, down, down!?"

"BOTH!"

Trooper were closing in.

Lerti cocked the gun.

They watched as Nek moved painfully slow for his double bladed vibroblade.

Two shots fired and they all winced as someone screamed.

They looked down to see the blonde haired man had stepped in front of Nek and had opened fire on the trooper while taking a direct hit to the thigh. Crumpling to the ground, the man continued to fire nearly shielding the Devorian with his own body. The troopers kept firing but each shot missed its target despite the two being only feet away. Lerti rained down aimed fire with Cholmon's baby before the ship lowered itself to near landing position.

"Let's go." the man nearly whispered to a half conscious Nek.

He leaned over to hoist the smaller alien up only to find him much denser than expected. Suddenly two lanky robotic arms lifted the crewmember from the ground and hustled back onto the ship, causing the man to flinch. Flanking the man, Soron and Lerti grabbed an arm and began nearly dragging him onto the ship.

"You know where we can find a decent healer?" Soron asked the man between breaths.

"I am one." He nearly whispered.

Lerti smiled.

"Welcome aboard."


	3. Chapter 2: A Purpose

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs. Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. Many thanks to my co-writer zazabelle, who has been amazing as always. Please review and critique. This was meant to go out a day ago, but sadly it took a bit longer than expected to edit it. I hope everyone enjoys this extra long chapter.

Rating: T (sci-fi violence and language)

Cenden was hauled through the corridors of the cargo ship by the Mandalorian and Shistavanen, the latter of which he assumed was the captain. He gritted his teeth in both pain and annoyance as he entered the medical bay. Or closet for that matter. The room contained almost no proper medical equipment other than standard battlefield bandages, splints, and painkillers. The commando droid laid the Devaronian, 'Nek I think he was called,' on the medical table before turning towards his captain. Releasing his grip on Cenden, the captain turned to his droid.

"Alright, get down to the engine room and get us powered up, Chol will take care of the rest." The droid nodded and loped out of the room, casting a quick glance towards Cenden before exiting the room.

The Mandalorian eased Cenden into a chair next to his patient before removing her helmet, revealing her flaming red hair, dark skin, and brown eyes. She locked him in a glare, eyes bloodshot with worry as she shoved some bacta bandages and painkillers into his hands.

"Patch yourself up, then get right to Nek. His life is worth more than yours" She growled before stomping out of the room. Cenden shivered as she went, then quickly wrapping the bacta around his leg and injecting the painkillers with a hiss of pain.

"Please, forgive my second in command. She...leans on her emotions more than the rest of us." The captain spoke softly. "My name is Soron, and this is my ship, the _Raving Titan_. What is your name?"

Cenden mulled over his response, old habits struggling in the face of Soron's smooth, convincing voice.

"K-Kandor. My name is Kandor." He responded, hoping his lie would appease the wolfman. He say his eye narrow slightly, before the captain nodded. "Well then Kandor, you have a lot of work to do." Cenden sensed desperation in his voice now. "Please, do whatever you must to save him. I'll be here to assist you." Cenden gave a simple nod and limped over to his patient, examining his shoulder wound.

It wasn't a pretty sight. Though cauterized by the blaster's extreme heat, the wounded could still become infected, not to mention the fact that his clothing had become fused with the open flesh in places.

"I need a plasma scalpel, immuno boosters, and bacta. Lots of bacta." Soron nodded and began to grab the required items, passing them to Cenden as needed. This went on for some time before Cenden realized that the meager supplies here wouldn't be enough. He could feel Nek's life steadily draining.

His stomach twisted in knots.

' _I really don't want to do this. In fact… I'm not even sure I can anymore.'_ Cenden thought. ' _But I need to save his life. It's what my master would want.'_

Shielding the Devaronian's body as much as he could, he called on the Force for the first time in many months. It came to him like an old friend, bound by memory but awkward with time. Using the techniques he had learned to accelerate the healing process, he held his hand over the wound and began connecting and shifting the broken energies. Cenden paid extra attention to himself as he connected with the Devaronian's energy, now sharing the sickening feeling of the wound, but only for a moment.

Cenden glanced at the captain, currently searching for more immuno boosters and synthetic blood, causing Cenden to breathe a sigh of relief as the wound began to knit itself back together as he stemmed the flow of Force energy. Though he had sworn he saw Soron stiffen slightly, he dismissed it as a side effect of the painkillers. Quickly he tightly wrapped the wound in as many bandages as he could manage to make it look believable that the wound was still healing underneath. He eased himself back into his chair, his work mostly done. His leg burned, and his energy quickly sapping, Cenden called the captain over.

"He will be fine now, he just needs rest and time to heal. Be sure to change his bandages in a few days. Now, is there a place where I can rest?" He asked the captain, the pain killers starting to make the world spin a little.

"Take a left outside the door, second on the right. You'll be sharing with someone else for now, is that ok?" Soron inquired.

"That is acceptable." Cenden responded, making slowly for the door, every step dull agony. However, he was stopped by a furred hand resting on his shoulder, forcing him to turn to meet Soron's glowing yellow eyes.

"Thank you again. Me and my crew are in your debt." He said. Cenden gave a quiet nod and left the room, seeking the welcoming embrace of sleep.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"BX you can come in now." Soron spoke. BX slid from his hiding place outside the medical bay and stepped in, ducking under the doorframe slightly.

"Will he live?" The droid inquired, giving a cursory glance over Nek.

"Aye, he will. But our new friend 'Kandor' is hiding something. I know it." He said examining under the bandages while Nek slept. "Blaster wounds don't heal like that, not with normal medicine." Soron turned to BX, locking eyes with his white photoreceptors. "I believe he's a survivor, but I need you to confirm."

"What would you have me do captain?" BX responded.

"I can tell he is uneasy around you. Figure out if its from the war. He will be rooming with you, but he doesn't know that. Make him as uneasy as possible and see if you can find anything to confirm my suspicions."

"When would you like a report? I will need time to examine all possibilities and outcomes." BX explained, feeling what could only be described as dread at the concept of a Clone Wars veteran.

"As soon as possible." Soron commanded. BX nodded and left the room.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Cenden was intrigued by the room he had been assigned to. It was spotlessly clean, with a low desk and racks of weapons and tools, but no bed. On the desk was a currently disassembled DH-X rifle, yet each piece was in perfect geometric alignment with each other. And, judging by the look of some of them, custom made, as were many of the tools. He also took notice of the full suit of stormtrooper pilot armor in the corner, in surprising condition for something that was likely pried off someone's corpse. But he was still confused as to whose room this was. ' _Maybe zhe Mandalorian? Or this Chol everyone keeps talking to?'_

His question was quickly answered as the door slid open, revealing the commando droid from earlier, bedroll tucked neatly under his arm. Within a moment however, the droid let out a low growl, photoreceptors locked on Cenden.

"No no no no no!" The droid panicked as he rushed to the table.

His hands began to make miniscule changes to everything Cenden had touched, changes that were almost impossible to see. The droid whirled around and stomped straight towards the culprit, faceplate inches from Cenden's face.

"You. You almost ruined my work. From now on consider yourself on notice."

"Ok, what?" Cenden shouted back.

"You're lucky the captain likes you so much." It stated before taking a step back and shoving the bedroll into Cenden's chest, nearly causing him to fall over.

"He's your master. You can't do anything without his orders." Cenden rebutted.

"Clearly you weren't paying attention on Basteel. You will be staying on the right side of the room. Keep all personal items neatly organized on that side. Disturb my possession again and you will incur heavy consequences."

Cenden took the bedroll and laid it against the wall. "Up yourz clanker." He muttered under his breath.

"Call me that again and I'll show you what a true war droid can do." The droid replied from his desk, where he was cleaning a flechette launcher.

Cenden unrolled the mat and nearly collapsed onto the ground. His leg was burning, while a cold sweat began to shake his being. His attempts to calm his breathing only seemed to make him more aware of how the painkillers were melting away his calm composure.

The droid's presence was not helping.

"Help! General we're taking heavy fire!"

A memory flashed by.

"No. Shut up. You're fine" Cenden whispered harshly to himself as he took a breath and closed his eyes.

"NO! NO PLEASE!"

His eyes flew open while the room started to swim. The droid turned towards him, his mechanical eyes watching. Watching.

Cenden hands flew to his ears as he curled up tight on the mat.

"Not again, please leave me alone…" He whispered as he slipped back into the recesses of his mind.

The droids were gone.

The temple should've been safe.

But a droid is here. Why would such a terrible thing be allowed to exist?

Just keep swinging. Just keep moving. The Force is here. But is it? There is no end to the death.

The droid stepped closer to the unconscious man having a panic attack on his floor. With careful movement of his foot, he pushed the man and the mat a little further to the wall and straightened the wrinkled corner ever so slightly before backing away to see if it squared up evenly.

"Close enough." The droid concluded before reaching to his comm. "Orders fulfilled Soron."

Soron's voice came over the comm. "You already got him to talk?"

"Those were not my instructions."

"...What?"

"You said to make him as uneasy as possible, I calculated the corrected phrases and terms that should get him to reveal if he has any previous trauma to war."

"And does he?" Soron strained, his voice laced with anger or worry.

"From my scan, I would say this level of a stress induced panic attack would indicate past war trauma."

"..." Static came over the comm.

"Soron?" BX spoke. "Soron? Can I make him leave now? Him being here is throwing off the symmetry of my room."

The door opened behind BX. Soron walked briskly into the room and stopped when he saw Cenden.

Soron sighed as his hand came up to pinch between his brow.

"Ok, ya, I guess I wasn't specific enough." he patted the droid on the back, "A for effort I guess."

"Effort does not start with an A."

"Shut up and just help me move him into the extra room!" Soron yelled.

Without another word, BX took a step forward and bent down to pick up the injured man. Pulling him halfway from the ground, BX began to build momentum to put him onto his shoulder.

Cenden screamed as his eyes flew open.

The pressure built before exploding outwards away from Cenden sending BX flying across the room.

Cenden landed, nearly crumpling to the floor and stood drunkenly on one leg. His breathing rapid and his eyes bulging with confusion and fear, he stared at the droid rising from the ground and the Shistavanen staring back.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" he bellowed before collapsing onto his hands and knees.

"Whoa, ok there!" Soron rushed forward.

Grabbing his arm and wrapping it around his back, he heaved Cenden from the ground

And rushed him through the open door.

Soron nearly dragging Cenden down the hallway, he saw Lerti's fiery head pop out from around the corner.

"Lerti, actual guest room, now!" Soron strained between breaths.

Lerti nodded and ran ahead, opening the door to their extra room. Soron pulled him through the door before flopping the half conscious man down onto the bed.

He watched Lerti back out of the room. He thought about asking for her to run and get some sedatives from the medical supplies but at this point, Soron wasn't sure he would need it, the man was fading fast.

"Please… Please get away…" Cenden whispered desperately as his eyes fought to stay open.

"We have a lot to discuss, Jedi." Soron growled as the Jedi slipped out of awareness.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Soron sighed as he watched the man's body go limp. Turning to walk out, he saw BX standing in the door frame, his head tilted in curiosity.

"Did I do something… incorrect, to your instructions?" BX asked as Soron walked passed him.

"You did exactly as I said. Doesn't mean it was right on my part… I think he'll be ok but just try and keep your distance from him until he's in his right mind again." Soron explained to the droid.

BX nodded and turned to go back to his room to clean up the damage from their "experiment". The droid could almost feel what organics would call a shudder when he reviewed the memory of that man touching his perfectly organized blaster pieces.

"The nerve." he muttered to himself before turning the corner.

Soron let out a breath and turned down the hallway to head towards their lounging area near the center of the ship. Opening the door, he found Lerti already there waiting for him with two cups of stimcaf resting on the table in the middle of sectional sofas.

"I'm guessing you were needing this as much as I was." she smiled.

"Ya probably." he mumbled as he flopped onto the couch. "I feel sort of awful."

"Man, I do too. I think I pulled something in my shoulder." Lerti groaned as she rolled her shoulder.

"No I was meaning about our guest. I think I made BX give him a heart attack."

Lerti shrugged, "Why do you care? It's not like we're keeping him."

Soron looked at Lerti.

"What? No! Soron! We can't pick up another 'passenger', we can barely get by with the four of us!" Lerti complained.

"We owe him greatly."

"We owe him nothing. His whole good deed act saved Nek but that doesn't mean we can trust him, much less owe him anything!"

"I wasn't just talking about Nek, Lerti."

"Then what? Soron, we don't owe anyone anything!"

"We owe him this!"

"Why!?"

"Lerti I think he's a survivor!"

She went quiet for a moment before lowering her voice.

"Soron what are you talking about?"

"The Old Republic… The Jedi. I think he was one of them."

"Soron, the Jedi aren't real. You know I love to tell stories as much as the next guy but..."

"No they weren't. I'm old enough to remember. I'm old enough that I won't give into that awful propaganda about them! They are real, and almost none of them survived after the emperor took control of everything and attempted to wipe them out."

"How could you possibly know that?" Lerti asked with wide eyes.

"I'll tell you once we have our crew together for a little chat. That includes our hopeful new member pumped full of painkillers laying in the other room." Soron said as he turned to leave the room.

"I'm going to check on Nek. Be sure to swing by Cholmon and give him our next destination." Soron commanded as the door slid open in front of him.

"Where are we going now?"

"Let's swing by Nar Shaddaa. Beebs should be able to help us lie low for a while."

"You got it cap."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Nearly a day and a half later, Nek woke up with a slight headache and a lot of questions, but to the rest of the crew, he seemed livelier than ever. Under the several layers of bandages, the blast wound was almost completely healed, Nek describing it feeling like "a ton of insect bites" but not much worse than that. Despite the crew's insistence he stay put and rest for a while, he was up and moving about the ship only about three hours after his waking up.

Needless to say, Lerti and Cholmon couldn't help but be suspicious of the miraculous recovery. Nek himself was just as confused. Soron had continually promised to explain everything, but only after they were sure their guest was going to live.

Since his "incident" he hadn't woken up. Once the crew had landed in Nar Shaddaa, they had begun taking shifts watching him, but everyone reported in that he hadn't so much as stirred once.

Cholmon shuffled into the room to take his shift. Nek sat patiently next to his savior and smiled when he saw Cholmon.

"I'm happy to be alive, I don't care why. But it seems the how is still out for the count." the Devaronian said gesturing to the human.

"Give him time I guess." Cholmon shrugged indifferently.

"It just doesn't make sense… I get shot almost clean through the shoulder and I'm almost completely healed, but he gets shot in the leg and now…" Nek sighed.

"Not to many things do Nek, now go get some rest for crying out loud. I'll let you know if anything changes." Cholmon uttered, putting a webbed hand on Nek's shoulder.

Nek nodded silently before rising from his chair and heading for the doorway. Cholmon sat down heavily with a thump. Putting his feet up near the foot of the bed, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

"Looks like you're contagious mystery man, 'cause I could really go for a nap right about now too." Cholmon mumbled sarcastically.

Several rooms over, Lerti sparred with BX while Soron and Nek watched, making bets for the winner. The droid and the Mandalorian seemed almost be dancing in their practice fight. BX's movements calculated and quick, while Lerti moved on her feet, looking almost carefree as she threw her punches. It was an interesting bout to be sure.

Outside, storm clouds had gathered overhead. Rain poured down, thudding rhythmically on the haul of the ship. Lightning split across the sky and thunder exploded moments later. Back in Cenden's room, the Jedi stirred in his sleep.

His eyes suddenly flew open.

With a quickly drawn in breath, he shot up into sitting position, his eyes flying about the room.

His eyes locked onto the Mon Calamari taking a nap in the chair next to the bed as he tried to piece together where he was and why he was there… The firefight, the injured Devaronian; he was on a ship.

He reached out with the Force, connecting to the surrounding area, they weren't in space, which was a start. At least he could try and find his way off the ship and hide somewhere less conspicuous than an escape pod. Carefully pulling the covers aside, he shifted his body as quietly as possible so as not to wake the alien nearest to him. Pulling one leg over the side of the bed, he held in a gasp of pain when fire ran up the side of his leg.

He looked down at the still very raw but bandaged blast hole in his leg.

' _Oh ya. That_.' Cenden thought as vague memories of painkillers, a droid, and a Shistavanen trying to attack him flooded back.

His stomach fluttered in panic.

They know.

Quickly placing his hand on his thigh, he connected with the living energy within himself, then to the Force flowing around him and throughout the room. Finally connecting with the tear in his being, he inhaled in pain, the little energy he had quickly draining from him. Breaking the connection, he leaned back on one hand and removed the bandages as he gasped for breath.

The wound was still there.

I must've used up more power than I thought healing that Devaronian… Did I even break the connection with him? Exhaustion quickly began eating away at Cenden again.

Focusing, he broke any bonds he had strung together and felt some energy return to him.

Well that's just great, I must've been using up my energy to heal him. Alright Cenden, just escape the ship then you can take a nap, sound good you idiot? Cenden thought to himself as he began to build momentum.

Quietly hopping up from the bed, he leaned on his good leg and the wall as he began his shuffle out from the room. His mind felt like it was in a fog as he made his way down the hallway. For the first time in a long time, he just let the Force pull him along through the winding corridors and seemingly endless hallways.

He was looking for anything that looked like a exit, any kind of door that might lead to the outside.

Cenden jumped as thunder roared overhead. Letting out a breath, he shook his head and kept going. That pulling feeling stopped suddenly as he passed a door that met at the crossroads of two dividing hallways. This did not look like an exit, but it was the only lead he knew for certain would lead him where he needed to be… Maybe.

At that same moment, back in the sparring room, Nek decided he was feeling a little run down after all and told the others he was going to go lay down for a while.

Cenden reached for the door's control panel.

Nek watched the door speed open and gasped a little when someone was standing immediately on the other side.

Cenden's eyes locked onto Nek's as he stumbled back against the wall in shock.

Soron and Lerti looked over in surprise.

BX shoved Lerti against the wall, then looked over at the door.

"You should really work on your focus. Oh and Soron, the Jedi is at the door." BX observed.

Everyone was quiet. Everyone waiting for someone else to make a move.

Soron took a step forward.

Cenden pushed himself further up against the wall.

Lerti smiled a little and stood up, "Where do you think your heading? Don't you want to introduce yourself first?"

Cenden scowled at them before replying.

"I want off this ship. Now."

Soron frowned a little, glancing at Cenden's leg.

"Why haven't you healed your wound?" Soron questioned.

Cenden's face fell, for a moment he thought about all he had to hide. How long he had been alone and hiding. He was stuck on this ship, there was no escape at the moment. There was nothing that could be done…

"Don't you think I tried? ...I'm tired." Cenden voiced in defeat.

"Well you can go back to our guest room then, you're allowed to stay as long as you need. We owe you that much." Nek spoke.

Lerti scowled a little before rolling her eyes and walking through the door.

"Come on back to the room. Soron promised answers and you're going to help out with those." she said as she walked past Cenden, gesturing for everyone to follow. "Also, I'm hoping Cholmon was just being Cholmon when you managed to sneak passed him."

"The Mon Calamari? He was sleeping." Cenden explained as he limped along the corridor followed by the rest of the crew.

"Figures." Nek mumbled in reply, "By the way, I never got a chance to thank you." he directed at Cenden.

"Don't mention it."

The group made it back to the room, Cholmon was still sleeping in his chair exactly where Cenden had left him. Lerti walked briskly across the room, quickly throwing Cholmon's legs off the side of the bed. His eyes flew open in surprise and he sat bolt upright.

"Wah!? What? Oh, um…" Cholmon's looked at Cenden in shock, "Well look at that… He did wake up."

"Ya and great job watching him for us Chol." Soron uttered sarcastically before gesturing for Cenden to sit on the bed.

Lumbering over, Cenden flopped back onto the bed, hissing from the pain in his leg. Sighing, he looked to Soron.

"What do you want?" he inquired forcefully.

He noticed a look pass between the crew members, as if they knew what was coming.

Soron stepped forward, "I want to repay you."

"You have repaid me! I saved his life you gave me a place to rest, your debt has been repaid."

Soron was quiet for a moment, just watching him speak.

"I don't think I could ever truly repay you for all you have done."

"What are you talking about?"

"I was there when the order was given… I was there when the Jedi fell."

Nek suddenly stepped forward, "Wait! So he actually is a Jedi!? 'Cause that would explain a lot."

"I. Am no. Jedi! Not anymore!" Cenden barked.

Soron stepped back in, "But you were. What was your position?"

"... I was a temple guard. In charge of protecting the sanctuaries and sacred temples of the Jedi order. Especially during the Clone Wars." his gaze became far off, his voice dropped down to almost a whisper, "The droid armies had suddenly abandoned the area, we should have been safe. But then the…" Cenden cut himself off, his voice pained.

"Then the clones attacked." Soron finished.

Cenden nodded silently.

"I was there, on one of the sites where the order was given. I could barely make out what was happening, it was like the clones just went mad. I watched them slaughter their brothers in arms like they were vicious animals. Why? Why did they do it?"

"I don't know."

"How are you alive?"

"I don't know."

"The emperor took control only days later, you must see the connection."

"I DON'T KNOW!" Cenden bellowed, dropping his head into his hands, "What. Do. You. Want? Are you going to turn me in?"

"I think he's made it pretty clear we're not going to turn you in." Lerti snorted.

"We don't fight for the Empire." Soron retorted.

Cenden raised an eyebrow. He looked slightly taken back.

"Then for the Rebellion?" He questioned.

"Pointless. All of it." Soron reposed, "So the Empire takes over the galaxy. Then what? The Empire is doing all of this for power, and what does it matter to them? What does it matter to the Emperor? And what does all of this matter to us?" he laughed, "And the Rebellion? If, or when they manage to stop them, then what? Whoever is in charge changes nothing, not really. But we," he gestured to his crew, "We are apart of a free reign. We do not fight for any side, we do not just survive. We are trying to find how to live. All of us are fighting to find a greater purpose than who's in charge of what. There really is no point to it, and we are looking for a purpose. And I think you can help us find that purpose. I think we could give you a purpose."

"What do you mean?" Cenden asked.

"Well, who better to help us find a greater purpose than a man connected to the greatest purpose?" Soron explained.

Cenden was quiet for a moment.

"You're talking about zhe Force?" he asked curtly.

"Of course I'm talking about the Force! You're kind of slow aren't you?" Soron jested.

Cenden rolled his eyes, "I don't know if zhere's a point to that."

Soron smiled, "You have reason to doubt your abilities, I'm sure. Every war leaves its scars. But regarding the Force? There is every point to it. It guides you doesn't it? It moved you to us, it moved you to save Nek. And it moved Nek to get shot in the first place. It sees things greater than we are, it makes up all things, it binds all things together, and that includes time. The Force decides who lives and who dies and how and why. You are connected to it. You are it's prophet, it speaks through you. It helps you."

"It didn't help any of us when it mattered the most! I watched my fellow guards get slaughtered! I should've been dead too! They just kept shooting and shooting at the bodies! Without remorse, without thought… Then they shot at me. I should not be alive right now."

"But you are." Cholmon finally spoke.

"Ya, I am." Cenden whispered.

"So what are you doing to do about it? What are you going to do with your second chance? How are you going to live, now that the Jedi are gone? Why did the Force allow the Jedi to die? Why do the Sith still live? And how does the rest of us fit into it? Why are we alive? What are we here for?" Soron's eyes locked onto Cenden's.

"You ask some pretty heavy questions."

"And I'm sure you'll be able to help us find heavier answers. Help us find them." Soron extended his hand towards Cenden.

Cenden hesitated before taking his hand.

"It's been awhile since I've heard anyone talking sense. My name is Cenden Sondron."

Soron smiled.

"Nice to meet you."


	4. Chapter 3: One Rule

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs. Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. Many thanks to my co-writer zazabelle, who has been amazing as always. Please review it gives us joy. In addition to this new chapter, my cowriter has done character drawings for the crew. I'll add a link to the tumblr post at the end. Anyways please enjoy!

Rating: T (sci-fi violence and language)

 _'Nar Shadda. What a pisshole._ ' Soron though as he walked through the filthy and narrow alleys flanked by Cholmon and Cenden.

He always hated the Smuggler's Moon, but it was a good place to lie low and pick up work. If one was willing to put aside their belief in legality.

"Where are we going?" Their new member asked, covering his nose, as if that would stop the stench.

"A nightclub called The Inucbus, I got a friend there I want to you meet." Came the reply from Soron. "She'll have a mission for us."

"Haven't you tested me enough these past few days?" Cenden asked. Soron had rigorously tested his physical, mental, and Force abilities since he had awoken, and it was taking a toll on him.

"This isn't all about you." Chol gruffly stated. "We still need credits to eat and keep the Titan flying."

"And I wouldn't call them 'tests' just more along the lines of, 'physical assessments'" Soron cut in.

Cenden rolled his eyes.

"Hey, look, I've been with my crew for a long time. I know what everyone is capable of, but adding a variable to the list only makes strategizing harder. So no whining from either of you… We're here." Soron smiled.

This time Cenden and Chol exchanged glances. There was something slightly amusing and irking about Soron speaking to them as if they were children. Cholmon gave his glaring face a refresh and all Cenden could do was shrug.

Soron's quick pace slowing before stopping in front of a blocky building. Neon lights covered the front entrance, the dull thrum of music escaping its walls.

"This is it. Cenden, follow me. Cholmon, wait for us while we meet with her. Try not to get too drunk."

"Whatever you say." Cholmon grumbled.

Immediately upon entering they were bombarded by the loud electronic music. Cenden winced at the volume and Soron's ears flattened against his head in an effort to save his hearing.

 _'She really needs to hire a new DJ.'_ Soron thought as they approached the bar. Cholmon immediately plopped himself down on a stool and ordered a drink from the nearest bartender.

Rolling his eyes, Soron motioned to a flight of stairs nearby. "She's up there."

Cenden nodded and followed him up the dimly lit stairs where the music became dimmed into the background of their thought. At the top standing in front the only door at the end of the hallway, the where they were stopped by a heavily scarred human acting as guard.

"Clearances." He grunted.

"Ando, can we not do this today? Let us through. Unless you want me to add a few more scars to that thing you're using as a face." Soron said, lips peeling back to reveal his fangs. Ando met him with a growl of his own.

"Let him in Ando." Came a melodic feminine voice from beyond the door. Soron pushed past the doorman, Cenden following behind cautiously.

The door opened to reveal a room high above the dance floor, illuminated by the blue lights below. Against the window was a long coach and on it reclined a Falleen woman clad in tight business clothes and sporting a long black ponytail. She beamed at the duo as they entered.

"Soron!" She exclaimed as the door closed. She raced towards the Shistavenan, wrapping him in a tight hug which he returned. "It's been too long."

"It has. It's good to see you again Beebs." Soron responded.

"Xa-Sin-Ruk, hold my calls." She ordered the Tiss'shar standing behind the desk on the left side of the room as the two untangled themselves.

"As you wish, my lady." He answered, dipping his raptor-like head as he returned to a sitting position in front of his terminal. Cenden and Soron sat on the coach as the Falleen took her previous seat.

"How long have you had him?" Soron asked, jerking a thumb towards Xa-Sin-Ruk.

"A few months now. He's loyal beyond belief, and good at what he does. Keeps the finances flowing much smoother than the last one. But who is this you brought to me?" She finished, locking eyes with Cenden.

"This is Cenden Sondron. Cenden, meet Beebs Dovrees. Probably the nicest crime lord you'll ever meet."

"Pleasure to meet you." Cenden said, extending his hand, which Beebs returned.

Although he was a bit frustrated that Soron gave out his real name, he tried not to show it on his face. For all this woman knew, that might not be his real name.

"The pleasure is mine. It's always interesting to see who Soron here picks up." She said, earning a bit if a smile from Soron and a heavily muffled laugh from Cenden.

"Too true. Now then, I know you already gave us a mission, but I was wondering if you had anything for my new crew member?" Soron asked.

"Wait, what? What do you mean you already have a mission?" Cenden questioned.

Beebs adopted a thoughtful expression for a few seconds towards Cenden. "Breaking him in?"

"Breaking him in." Soron agreed.

"In that case I think I have something." Beebs said. "He can stay to discuss it with me, in the meantime here is your information." She handed Soron a datapad. "Your target is a Chiss smuggling ring that's been pushing into my turf. Eliminate them and grab the cargo they're transporting. Specifics are in there." She finished.

"Thanks again Beebs." Soron said as he stood up.

"Always happy to have you help me Soron." Came the reply, a grin etched into the Falleen's face.

"Alright, me and Chol will head out." Soron stated to Cenden, "Good luck."

"No." Cenden replied, grabbing Soron's arm. "Wait."

Cenden turn to look at Beebs. "What's my mission?"

Beebs smiled, "I have something special for you. I have a certain Twi'lek under my protection. Runs a numbers racket in a lower district, but has been skimping on his protection payments. I want you to go and show him the error of his ways."

"You want me to kill him?!" Cenden questioned worriedly.

"No no no." Beebs responded, slight panic in her voice. "No killing. Takes way too long to build those connections. But you can maim him if necessary. After all, he violated the one rule."

"And what rule is zhat?" Cenden asked.

"Don't fuck with my money." She said, voice hardening. To Cenden it felt as if the temperature had dropped a few degrees.

"Anyways, here's the location. Any other questions?" She asked, warmth returning to her voice, as she handed him a small note with the address and the Twi'lek's name on it.

"No questions just a statement." Cenden said as he stood up and released Soron's arm. "I want you both to realize that I had a life before this. Not a life of commitment but a life with a job nonetheless. I didn't join Soron's team to help anyone, especially not hurt anyone. So before I make any agreements, I need you to look me in the eyes and tell me. Am I being hired to hurt an innocent man?"

Beebs smiled slowly, "Before I answer that, ask this. Is anyone truly innocent?"

"If I find someone I'll let you know." Cenden growled back.

She laughed, "I like this one Soron! You'll have to show me where you got one." she said as she stood from her seat, "Cenden, was it? The man I am sending you to is not remotely innocent and I'm sure deserves worse than a warning. I don't do killing unless necessary. Maiming is a stretch. And all this shows me is how well you actually know Soron, thinking he would put you in a situation where you would even need to ask such questions. Now get out, and I wish you the best."

As the two turned to leave, Soron shot Cenden a look that he couldn't quite read. Not anger, just perhaps, disappointment? Soron's speedy pace shot him through the doorway and halfway down the stairs before Cenden was even halfway across the room.

"Wait." Beebs suddenly commanded. "Soron guards his crew jealousy, and thus rarely takes on new crew members. They tend to make his job harder. So what made him consider you?" She asked eyes narrowing.

Cenden paused. "I jumped in front of a blaster meant for one of his crew. And kept him from succumbing to his other wounds." He said, hoping that would appease the crime lord.

Beebs narrowed her eyes even more, an unreadable expression on her face. Like a predator sizing up its prey.

"You are a different one for sure. Maybe one day you'll tell me the whole story." She said, Cenden glaring in return. "In the meantime, good hunting." She finished, dismissing Cenden with a wave of her green hand.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Cenden approached the building where his target operated out of. It was a dilapidated old warehouse, hardly suitable for habitation or storage of any sort. As he approached the door he was stopped by a Zabrak guard who leveled his blaster at Cenden.

"State your business." He barked.

"I'm here to meet Nero." Cenden replied, using the name Beebs had given him.

"How the hell do you know that name?" The Zabrak growled, finger hovering over the trigger.

Cenden sighed and pulled the Force through his mind, then reached our and connected it with the frontal lobe of the Zabrak's mind. A ringing sounded in his ears as he watched the alien's face go calm.

"You will let me pass." Cenden ordered, waving his hand through the connection, sending only the thoughts he desired before interrupting the "line".

"I...will let you pass. Nero is at the end of the hall on the right." The Zabrak replied in a trance.

Cenden carefully skirted around him before disappearing into the building. The guard snapped out of his trance, confused.

"Where did he go... eh he probably ran off. It's Nero's problem now, I'm on break." He muttered as he walked off.

Cenden made his way through the building, thoroughly disgusted by the business taking place. Innocent people, with no other option for improvement, were gambling away everything on this racket, while those running it simply stood by or openly laughed when their hopes were crushed by the "random" numbers. It was enough to make Cenden's blood boil.

' _Not here_.' Cenden had to remind himself. ' _Not this time_.'

He made his way to the door and rapped his right knuckles against it. "It's unlocked." Came the reply.

Cenden breathed deep, then pushed the door open. The room was small, with several terminals and desks along with five guards. At the far end sat his target, going over documents on a datapad and with two Quarren guards flanking him. He looked up, surprise appearing on his blue face.

"Who the hell are you? How did you get in?"

"Beebs sent me. It's time to pay up." Cenden replied, channeling a small amount of anger into his voice.

"Ha, she must truly be a fool to send someone as green as you. Now get out of my office before an "accident" happens." Nero threatened, gesturing to his guards.

They loomed towards him, both surprisingly light on their feet.

'I _hope Soron's mission isn't going as badly as this_.' Cenden thought as he reached for his pistol.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Of course this happens to me!" Soron shouted as he dove back into cover, a storm of blaster fire passing over his head. This mission had gone horribly, with the Chiss apparently expecting him and had already dug in. Priming a grenade, he tossed it over cover, rewarded with the screams of two Chiss.

"How many of these blue skinned fanatics are left Chol?" Soron asked as the Mon Calamari in question slid into the cover across from him, venting his pistol.

"Let me check." He responded, but no sooner had he peeked his head around cover than a shot whizzed inches over his head. "Sithspit!" He swore.

"How many Chol?"

"Six or seven of em. This had better be worth it."

"I have a plan." Soron yelled. "I'll throw another grenade, then you lay down some suppressive fire. I'll sneak around the right side and flank them."

"Fine by me cap." Cholmon responded.

"Alright on three. One. Two. Three!" Soron yelled, throwing the grenade. Hearing Cholmon's pistol a second later he sprint towards the next building, getting ready to loop around.

' _I hope Cenden is having more luck than us right now._ '

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The first guard, a human, reached for Cenden's shoulder. The moment his hand made contact, Cenden unfurled his arm, jabbing his wrist swiftly into the throat of the guard. Swiftly stepping back as the guard choked Cenden's fist flew to make contact with the man's temple.

The room exploded to life.

All Cenden could see were fist and feet and weapons. All things he instinctively knew needed to go.

He grabbed and pulled one guard's stomach into his knee as he felt the presence of another on his right. Tumbling over the winded guard's back, he used the inertia of the tumble to gain momentum to throw himself onto the third guard that had appeared on the opposite side of the winded one.

The guard's body flew with Cenden's towards the wall. Grabbing the man's face during their flight, the guard's skull smashed hard into the surface. The man crumpled into unconsciousness before the three remaining guards were upon him. Cenden swung hard into the side of one guard's head and grabbed his blaster pistol.

He reached out, just for a moment.

The room seemed to go into slow motion. Just for a second, Cenden could feel something adjusting his hand and directing his aim.

He fired once.

Twice.

The two remaining guards went down.

They weren't dead, but they easily could have been.

With the last guards down Cenden advanced towards Nero, panting slightly.

"I guess I'll do this myself!" Nero shouted as he stood and reached under his desk. Cenden flew towards him and grabbed the pistol from the Twi'lek before using it as a bludgeon against his head.

"Ah! For the love of-" Nero began, but Cenden cut him off by grabbing the front of his shirt, dropping the borrowed pistol and placing his own against the bottom of his jaw.

"Now then, what will it be?" Cenden asked menacingly.

"Screw you and that green bi-" Cenden slammed his face against the table, earning another cry of pain.

"Want to try zhat again?" Cenden asked.

"Alright alright. I'll pay Beebs what I owe. Tell her she won't get any more trouble from me."

"Good choice. Try and remember this next time you get ideas about messing with her money." Cenden finished, shoving Nero into his chair. He holstered his pistol and exited the room, looking forward to leaving this shipwreck of a moon.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The wind began to blast at the faces of Soron and Cholmon as they stood among the bay now littered with the corpses of pirates and smugglers. The smell of a storm once again threatened the horizon, but the two weren't thinking on the storm, only the rain that they hoped would wash away the traces of blood that stained the ground.

Soron left out a shaking breath and Cholmon nervously rubbed the long closed scar that ran along the top of his head.

"That could've gone better…" Cholmon spoke lightly, trying to calm their nerves.

"Why do we do this to ourselves Chol? Why do any of us fight this war? I saw younglings not much older than 14 handling the heavy artillery fire just over the ridge there…"

"Soron, let's not get into this now. We needed money, they needed money, and we earned it, and they didn't and that's the way things are." The two older men exchanged glances, Cholmon could see the old pain beginning to resurface in Soron's face. "Don't start doing this to yourself now, tell you what, when we get back to Beebs I'll buy us both a drink. Sound good?"

"I'm getting tired of fighting for all this nothing." Soron sighed and the two turned to leave, the storm growing steadily behind them.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Cenden sat impatiently in Beebs' office. Soron and Cholmon should've been back by now. This senses still on high alert from the fights, every sudden bout of laughter or shatter of glass from the nightclub downstairs was enough to make him twitch for his pistol, but his stern face remained deadpan as always. His more explosive emotions safely tucked away within the grooves of his mind.

If there mission was as… violence filled as mine was, maybe I need to go looking for them? Would that be the smart thing to do? Cenden thought to himself, a bit of stress surfacing. Why am I worried? They're fine. I would've sensed if something happened… right? They again, it's not like that helped in the past.

As if on cue, Soron's voice could be heard muffled through the door and it wasn't long before a tired looking captain stepped into the room. A scowled was locked onto his face mirroring the several cuts just barely surfacing from underneath the alien's fur.

"How did it go?" Cenden asked.

"How does it look like it went?" Soron responded, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Got it."

"And your mission?"

"About the same."

"Figured." Soron mumbled flopping onto the couch opposite his new crew member.

"So where's Beebs? I've been here a while and I haven't seen her."

"Eh, she owns like half this whole nightclub so she's probably just lost in the crowd downstairs. She might be up soon, or in an hour. Either way, I'm going to take a nap until she gets here." Soron explained, his mouth barely making the effort to move as his head rested on the couch's backing his eyes shut.

For the little Cenden knew about Soron, him taking a nap seemed strangely out of character, and for a moment he wondered if the captain had a concussion or something. The two sat in silence for a while. Even in his half conscious state, Soron could tell something needed to be discussed while there was silence.

Cenden broke the quiet built up in the room.

"Ya know, zhis was not exactly what I was expecting for my first mission on the team."

"What? Did it not meet your high standards in terms of excitement?" Soron chuckled, his eyes still closed.

"I guess… Just from the way you were talking on the ship on my first night, I was expecting something more but less, ya know?"

Soron raised an eyebrow as his eyes opened ever so slightly.

Cenden sighed, "How you were talking about this greater picture, and this noble neutrality to the universe, it sounded like, someone I used to know. I was expecting more importance and less… conflict."

This time Soron was the one to sigh, "That's why I took you on, I thought maybe with your background of work you could help us straighten things out." Soron said as he threw a glance at the Tiss'shar secretary.

"I am not the man to help you find some sort of greater purpose. I was never good at what I did, and I certainly never did anything for any of you to put faith in me. And I certainly haven't had any kind of epiphany after my original position was terminated. So, maybe next time you'll quit the riddles and have a better interview when you take on a new employee." Cenden laughed sarcastically.

"If you knew you couldn't help us, then why'd you take the job?" Soron's voice dropped to an agitated whisper as he leaned forward in his seat.

Cenden fell quiet for a moment before continuing in the same hushed voice, "Maybe I had nowhere else to be?"

"You sure acted like you could be somewhere else when you were taking your mission from Beebs earlier."

"Well I don't."

"You are not making much sense to me Sondron."

"Sorry to disappoint you, captain. I was foolish to think this would be any different from any other crew in the galaxy." Cenden sneered.

The door to the room suddenly burst open and a slightly tipsy Beebs came wandering in laughing. Her half-lidded eyes met the two crew members.

"Ah! Great to see you two made it back alive! Credits are with him..." she pointed at her secretary as she hiccuped.

Cenden and Soron rose from their seats and collected the credits from the Tiss'shar. Before the two made it out of the room, Beebs stopped them.

"I believe I'm owed a story from mister Cenden here before you leave." Beebs smiled drunkenly.

"I don't owe you anything. Maybe some other time." Cenden said sternly as he and Soron exited the crime lord's office.

Emerging into the packed club, Soron spotted Cholmon sitting at the bar near the center of the room. Weaving their way through the crowd of dancing people, Soron nearly dragged Cholmon off his chair as him and Cenden shuffled past.

"We're leaving now." Soron shouted above the noise.

The Mon Calamari followed without a word.

The three crew members wandered back to the ship parked several blocks away in the main bay area of the quadrant.

They were silent most of the trip, and the mood didn't lightened much even after the three walked inside one of the main common areas of the ship to find Nek had brought back food from the market nearby.

"So how'd everything go? We spent the last of our spending credits on food." Lerti explained with her mouth full.

"Could've gone better, could've gone worse. But we got credits and we're alive so that's a plus." Cholmon answered reaching for some of the assorted fruits that lay scattered across the counter.

"Well that good I guess..." Nek joined in, noticing the unpleasant faces of the three. "Did something happen or…?"

Soron answered, "Oh a lot of somethings happened. I'm going to go bandage these cuts, I'll tell you all later."

After the captain had left the room, Cholmon's mouth flew open.

"Soron just upset cause, as with most missions, people died unnecessarily. He'll be fine, just give him an hour or two to push back whatever's making him upset and he'll be over it."

"Oh shut up." Cenden suddenly snapped as he plopped down onto one of the booth chairs.

"What?" Cholmon asked sounding genuinely surprised.

"I've met too many people like you, like all of you, in my lifetime and you're all the same. You think you have some sort of unspoken rule, some burden to bear. Well guess what? You're allowed to be upset. You're allowed to be angry. It's better than just bottling everything up all the time! We live in a time of mercenaries, and thieves, and dictators, and heroes. But we're all still just people…"

"Whoa. Ok where'd that come from Master Jedi?" Lerti scoffed defensively.

"I just realize what you all expect from me. Or what Soron does anyway. That I'm suppose to change something, or make some difference. But I'm just a person who's just been trying to live a normal life up until now, and I thought you all might have some answers. But truth is, I don't know anything about any of you."

They were all silent for a moment.

Outside the closed door, Soron stood listening.

Nek hopped down from the counter he had been watching from and walked over to where Cenden sat. Smiling he put his hand on his shoulder.

"My friend. We do not expect any greatness from you. And what you say is true. The lifestyle we, and many others in this galaxy live, make us feel responsible for something. Perhaps we feel invincible. Maybe we feel vulnerable to point that we all have nothing to lose. There were no 'better times' as some claim. There are only good moments, for all of us that we dwell on when we're sad or hurt and we think, maybe, just maybe, we can make those moment last forever." He laughed, "I'm actually glad I got nearly shot to death just so that I can finally speak these feelings with all of you. Sometimes the worst can lead to a little good! We formed this team to look for a greater purpose than to kill or be killed, so let's do it!"

Nek fell completely silent in a bit of surprise as the door to the kitchen slid open and Soron and BX walked in. The captain laughed a bit.

"Today has been one of those days, and I don't know about the rest of you but I'm tired of feeling sorry for myself."

Glancing at Cenden, Lerti stood.

"So what's the plan?" she asked with a smiled in her eyes.

"We're going to figure out what we're looking for and find it." Soron answered.

"Sounds easy enough." Cholmon said.

"Am I understanding we are looking for something that we don't know what we're looking for?" BX chimed in suddenly sounding disgusted.

"We have a feeling and that's what counts right?" Nek spoke.

"Cut the sentiment, engineer." Cholmon snapped.

"Alright, alright." Soron spoke up, drawing the attention of everyone in the room before directing his gaze towards Cenden, "Cenden. We know you are just a man, you've been through a lot. But so have we all. Is there anyway we can figure out what we're looking for? Answers to… bigger purposes? Not to many people are religious these days, but there has to be something more than all of this." He said gesturing around him.

"Well believe it or not, but the Jedi aren't very religious." Cenden joked sarcastically. He sighed, "I really do appreciate everything you are all doing. But I want you all to understand that we are going to have to go digging around in some very… restricted places. It almost sounds like you are trying to dig up the Jedi from their graves. And if that's what we are going for, well Jedi Temples are where we are going to have to start."

"Temples of the Jedi are restricted by most Imperial controls in any area, are destroyed, or overrun by scavengers and thieves. This seems like getting involved in a lot of Imperial business for some people who definitely have made it clear they want to avoid the Empire." BX analyzed.

"We'll do what we have to. But this is a huge start. Do you know where the best one to start with might be?" Soron questioned Cenden.

"A few I can think of off the top of my head might be Alaris Prime, Iktotch, Tyroth, Jedha…"

"Wait so we're really doing this!?" Nek piped in excitedly.

"I think so." Lerti confirmed.

"Cholmon. Can you begin charting some possibilities on the star map with Cenden?" Soron asked.

"Sure, but, is this a good idea?" Cholmon inquired.

"It's the only good idea we've ever had as far as I can remember." Nek responded.

"Let's begin our search then." BX spoke.

A/N: Here is the link:

post/163154250430/hello-everyone-over-the-course-of-this-summer-me


	5. Interlude 1: New Heart

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs, Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. Many thanks as suaual to my cowriter zazabelle. This is the last prewritten chapter we have completed, so there may be a delay inbetween this and the next chapter. I apologize in advance. Anyways, please enjoy the latest chapter of Free Reign!

Rating: T

I was drifting about in a dream, I think. There were a lot of explosions going on and people shooting at people and people getting shot.

I reached for the lightsaber I wasn't suppose to have before I felt fire blaze through my leg.

My eyes flew open.

My body shot up from bed and I was already walking before my mind was totally comprehending that I was awake. I stopped in my path halfway to the door of my room and rubbed my eyes sleepily. Looking around, I noticed the small sunbeam from the hole in my roof as it brought in the sounds of wildlife. I began laughing to myself as I spun around in the warm and fast moving energy of the sun, my bare feet seemingly weightless on the cool stone floor. I don't why I was laughing, it just felt good.

As for the usual start to my day, I felt something pull at my heartstrings, urging me towards the door of my room.

A smile stretched across my face.

"Hold on a second, at least let me put my clothes on. But thanks for the heads up, I'm glad we have work to do!" My voice spoke, erupting into the peaceful silence as I spoke to my guide.

I looked around my home of five years as I began to throw my clothes on and adjust my armor pieces. Finding this place after the crash hadn't been easy. My guide's home was so heavily hidden amongst the forest, the sprawling buildings looked more like a small mountain range covered in grasses and vines.

I had learned a long time ago, from the guide's home, that it was actually called the Force. It was nice to be on a first name basis with it, but I had yet to be answered on my constant question to it which was 'what kind of name is the Force? That sounds like a title?' but we still had time to get to know each other better, after all, five years was nothing to an energy that has always and will always exist.

Slapping the buckles on my boots down, I rose from the floor and reached for my trench coat to start the day off right. Gripping the smooth fabric in my hands, I slipped the comfortable weight onto my shoulders. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding in and let my eyes close as I began to walk for the door to my room.

The darkness in my eyelids enveloped the room. Holding my hand out in front of me, I pushed at the Force as I began sensing the little obstacles scattered across the floor of my room. I began to place one foot in front of the other.

Pebble. Another pebble. Some other things- probably a crack, just don't step there. I tried to identify the objects beyond my closed eyes when my hand came in contact with the smooth door.

I opened my eyes with a smile as I turned to look at how I did.

I knew just from living here long enough that the floor would always be covered in little pebbles and cracks and glass shards, but mixing them up on my floor in the dark every night before I went to bed made for a great sensing practice… I think.

Most of the little boxed up holograms here required students train with a master, and there weren't too many solo practices I could learn without already being a full blown master, so I made up training exercises for myself.

Shaking myself from my thoughts, I reached for the panel to open the door.

Nothing.

Crouching down in front of it, I began vigorously pressing the button as fast as possible until I decided that it wasn't working, as usual, and I would have to just pry the door open from the space between the two panels, also as usual.

It annoyed me on a regular basis but I refrained from complaining, after all, this temple was super old. But, it was the Force's home, so I loved it.

The door finally squeaked open and I stepped out of my room and on the inner courtyard "balcony". The cool morning sunlight shone down through my "skylight". In reality, this place was in ruins. My balcony used to have another wall to it, with probably more rooms on the other side, but half of a hallway is probably better identified as a balcony than a hallway. My skylight, on the same note, was actually a huge hole in this wing of the temple's ceiling that stretched all the way down to the ground floor. From what I can tell from the other "balconies" above and below me, whatever had shot, fallen, or blown through this place had gone through about seven floors and had nearly hollowed out the building. Pipes had blown and now the ground floor was littered with sparkling waterfalls and lively ponds, and with a completely abandoned temple all to yourself, I know for a fact that no one cares if you take a bath in those or just walk around naked in general, not as fun as it had sounded at first though.

Beginning my walk through the guide's daily path, I smiled and simply enjoyed the small purple and white birds with their long trailing tails flitting around through the sunlight and diving down to the shadowed pools below to pick at the vines and grass holding nearly every part of the temple together by sheer will.

I smiled and laughed again. Skipping once into the air, I broke into a sprint down the half-hall. Feeling my heart beating in my chest, my coattails flying like wings behind me, and my brown hair going up in tangles with the little wind that had picked up through the hollow building, my mind began to race with the stream. I looked next to me in the empty space as I imagined creatures of every color and size racing along with me. Scales, tentacles, fur, all running and flying along with me to who-know-where the Force was guiding me today.

"Kar-ab!" I shouted in joy as I tumbled forward doing a somersault across the floor before springing to my feet pretending to extend my hand and send an enemy flying with the help of my guide.

My feet and hands began to imitate the motions of the Jedi I had watched on in the holograms.

Duck! Tumble! Punch! Jab!

"Force jump!" I yelled in excitement as I lept into the air.

Of course, I felt the Force surrounding me, but I didn't jump any higher than usual. That had never worked before, but everyday was worth a shot! Every moment here was worth a shot.

My feet slowed to a jog.

I became aware of the trinkets lying heavy in my pocket. All six.

I sighed and closed my eyes.

When I opened them, there they were.

"Hey guys! How are you?" I spoke to my family.

"We're fine as always Vis, where are you off to today?" Gu-el, a Twi'lek and the co-pilot/my honorary brother asked with a smile.

"Oh I'm not sure yet! I think my guide wants me to go reset one of my traps which might mean someone's breaking in today but I'm still not sure." I said with a smile.

"Well your instincts have never been wrong before so be sure of yourself!" Abedmalech, our captain spoke firmly.

"Ok, I will!"

I watched my mother step forward.

Her human face standing out among the rest of my family.

"How are you doing my dear?" She asked coming up and placing her hand on my almost human face.

I closed my eyes at her touch and smiled.

"I'm doing fine. I love it here, even though I don't know where here is. But my guide loves it, so I love it!" I smiled up at her hanging my hand on her arm.

"Don't you ever get lonely here all by yourself?" she asked with worry in her eyes.

"Oh course not! I have my guide, and the birds, and whatever I imagine to talk to! And you guys of course!"

"Oh my darling…" she bit her lip, "We love you so much."

"I love you guys too."

"Well we're holding you up so we'll let you be on your way then!" My mom said with a smile as she began backing up to the rest of the group.

"What are you talking about!? I ALWAYS have time for you guys! You don't have to go yet!" I smile desperately as I began to walk towards them my hand out stretched.

But they were gone.

I lowered my hand and looked around the ruins of the temple.

I laughed a little under my breath, squeezing my eyes shut.

My imagination is always an amazing thing to keep around.

And as always, the Force pulled at me to keep going forward. I sighed and wiped my nose on my sleeve.

"Don't worry guys… I'll protect this place no matter what! I have a job to do!" I nearly screamed as I pulled myself out of it.

Lying around feeling sad never got me anywhere with my day and that always made my guide sad too. Jogging down the hallway, I made it to the end and turned to the sheer drop leading down to the ground floor. The old ladder that might've been apart of a service tunnel still clung to the wall. Reaching for it, my fingers clung to the rails as I made my way down step by step.

I had made it a game quite a while ago to move one level up once a month and make it an effort to sleep in every room in the temple. I mean, why not? Plus, I've made so many bunk beds at this point I don't feel even the slightest bit deprived.

I reached the bottom rungs as I felt a draft of cool forest air flowing in from outside. I let go of the rung and let myself fall the remaining inches down. For the moment I was airborne, I let my sense flare out as I sensed the stones and pebbles below. Maneuvering my legs I tried to land where the stones were not. My boot hit the floor and went sliding out from under me causing me to land on my butt. I looked across the cracked beige stone that made up the debilitated floor and saw the patch of moss my foot had slid on, completely smushed.

"Come on Vis, moss is alive that should've been easy." I mumbled to myself as I wiggled up off the floor.

I looked across the lower level floor that seemed to stretch on endlessly, then to the gaping opening I assumed had once been a "grand entrance" of some kind, now vines had overtaken the opening and the sunlight streaming through was the temple's only guests.

I closed my eyes.

I took a deep breath.

I raised my hand in front of me.

The force flowing through me began to wrap itself through my veins, flowing into my wrists, then my hand, and connected with the energy outside myself.

It jolted through my body.

The vibrating life moving through everyone, everything. The stones, the vines, the sunlight, the birds, their movement moved the air. Expending energy and gaining energy all at once. Nothing ever dying, just moving.

My breath was heavy as I stretched myself thin through the paths. The movements and possible outcomes of futures waiting for me to create. Things the Force wanted me to find or do that would benefit myself and its cause.

This was my purpose.

This was my strength.

I am a servant of the Force, the one protecting this temple and its knowledge, the one being protected by its master.

My eyes opened.

"Reset my traps then go to the library. Got it!"

I sprinted towards the right hand side of the temple to a small opening in the ground and jumped through to the dark passages below.

I laid my hand along the mossy wall and the veins of the temple began to glow. I ran along with them, as they vibrated and flowed with the blue light of a content and calm spirit.

Regarding my path for the day, I knew nothing was happening yet, but that didn't mean it wouldn't. I was guessing more bandits were to be the culprit. Different groups had come snooping around in the past, what they were looking for I didn't know, but I also didn't care. This temple was for me and my guide.

I came to the crossroads of the passageways, without hesitation I went to the left, my legs telling me where to go. I saw up ahead one of the openings to the sky letting sunlight pour in. My guide pushing me forward I came to the opening and jumped to grab onto the edges of the dirt and grass making up the surface above. Wiggling my way out of the ground like a locust, I looked around for my boobie traps.

"Heh, boobie trap." I laughed to myself as I walk carefully towards the net in the grass. It had been sprung, but no person was inside. "I wonder what walked across this thing…"

Shrugging, because I only had the nagging sense this was important but the feeling wasn't screaming in my face, so I went about just trying to reset it without the sleeping darts nicking me in the process.

I went and climbed the tree I had attached it to. Every heart shaped leaf was tipped with the fainted purple and smelled like a million bottles of perfume. My nose always burned at the scent of them, so I can't even imagine having allergies. Luckily for me the strong smell hid the equally powerful smell of the sleep poison loaded in the dart sticks glued to the trees to pierce the ones that got trapped in the net.

Shimmying along the huge branch, I go to the ropes wound up in the spring loaded gears and grabbed on. I slid off and the net came down with me, lowering me to the floor until I heard a satisfying click when the ropes were relocked into place. I looked up at the dart sticks hidden in the branches.

"Note to self: review hologram box on blow darts, those would be way better if you can figure them out." With that I felt my path here clear, my mission was completed. Time for breakfast!

I skipped over to the opening in the grass and jumped through, back into the passage.

Walking this time, my eyes followed the beautiful blue veins that flowed through the entire temple from head to toe whenever I reached out with the Force to touch the inside of the walls, or laid my hand to the cracking stones like an old friend. I think the temple appreciated my friendly touch.

For the longest time I wondered where the veins came from and how they worked. And as always, my guide would take me by my hand and we would go explore the library for answers. Besides setting up traps and defending the temple from future intruders and practicing my connections, I read about everything there is to read about.

Holocrons, which I call hologram boxes or (hologram triangles if they were the angry ones), they held most of my answers but they didn't have the same feel to them as scrolls. The scrolls were as old as dirt with more questions about the Force than answers, they almost fall apart in my hands, but they're so beautiful. They don't just give me answers, the give me questions to drift about in, and history in which to reenact and finish. They leave me with something to question and I think that's way more important. If we didn't question anything, then how would new information ever be made? How would new information ever be discovered if someone wasn't brave enough to question the right things. They may sound stupid, maybe they sound crazy, but it might make someone think in a good way about the universe, then a story can begin and they can be guided too. If I can do that someday, just speak the truth and inspire someone to think, I think I might complete some kind of other purpose the Force wants for me, though who can tell really? We are all connected to so many threads.

I found myself having wandered to the passage hole beneath the library. I smiled and ran to the stairs this passage hole still clung onto. Emerging into the light, I spun about in place as I watched the transparent energy in between the air swirling about about before my eyes and clustered about the cases of holoboxes and holotriangles and scrolls.

"Show me the way." I laughed to my guide and I quickly bent down to touched the floor with as much flare as possible.

The veins light up below my touch run along the floor moving up the the cases. The contents bursting to life with their own respective lighting and shifting colors.

I looked around as I dusted my hands off.

From what I learned about the veins from the corrupted holofiles I got my hands on and what I half theorized was that, they were built to respond to the touch of a force wielder. From what I could tell, they were made from the same sort of crystal material as the holocrons. When I had first gotten here, nothing glowed like this. I hadn't really noticed with all the fear and anger churning me up, but things did glow, but in a different light. Mostly red, sometimes purple, sometimes yellow. It was like I was fueling the temple with one emotion and it was depicting every hue that I felt. It reminded me of the freckles on my face actually.

My mainly human appearance blocked up with the spinal ridges along my nose and forehead, and the color shifting freckles on my face.

The temple seemed to have the same blood running through its veins, but the veins, of course, only pump when they have a heart to fuel it.

I grabbed a hologram box and threw it to the Force.

My guide caught it and opened the box for me. As it opened, I walked along one of the veins and the box followed the path over to my table and chair. Hovering over the large metal table with its own glass center; it connected to the temple systems and showed me the individual files within the holocron. A Vahla woman appear from the box, she wore a simple smile on her face and her robe and garments underneath followed a similar pattern.

"Hello, I am Master Ghare and welcome to my lesson for alternatives to fighting and violence."

The holocron woman continued on in the background with something about importance of composer and peace and all that good stuff while my eyes danced about busily through the uncorrupted files for anything on blow darts and non lethal poisons.

In the back on my mind, I heard the stone walls groan ever so slightly.

Without warning I felt power go out of me and run through one of the veins.

I gasped a little and turned around as the Force began to whisper to me.

The walls groaned and cracked as they split apart and opened up.

I felt my heart racing as I stared at the new opening in the library walls leading down to where it seemed even the veins couldn't light up.

I felt fear claw at my spirit as the holocron fell silent.

The Force pushed me forward and for the first time in a long time, I refused to move.

"I think I might miss breakfast today."


	6. Chapter 4: Temple

Disclaimer: I ( draksisreborn) own nothing but my OCs. Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. Many thanks to zazabelle once again for making this possible with me. So yeah... this took much longer than expected. Partially because of life picking up speed once again, and partially because we both hit a block. Please review and enjoy this latest installment, we will likely have the next one done within the next few days.

Rating: T

' _This is turning out to be a fool's errand.'_ Lerti thought, reflecting on the last few weeks of their little "missions."

Half a dozen temples, under Imperial control or so old there was nearly nothing left of them. And they were no closer to their goal then they were that night on Nar Shadda. Jedha, Tyroth, the list goes on. Nothing.

Hours spent running through disheveled corridors and courtyards slowly overtaken by the environment.

Hours spent reading manuscripts that looked as if they would crumble in their hands.

Hours spent analyzing proverbs that only raised more questions than answers, giving the entire crew splitting headaches.

Hours spent looking for data packages that supposedly contained all the information a Jedi could ever need or "holocrons", according to Cenden.

' _The guards have been the worst part.'_ Lerti thought. Damn bucketheads were swarming at each of them, forcing them to sneak past them or risk fighting the entire planet's garrison.

A blaster bolt whizzed by her head, forcing her back to the present as they ran through the temple, stormtroopers hot on their heels. She grimaced under her helmet as she fell to the rear of the group. "Soron, I'm gonna grenade them. Once we get to the courtyard call Cholmon and BX for a pick up."

"You sure that's a good idea?" Nek yelled from the front as he impaled a flanker with his double vibroblade.

"It's the only chance we got." Soron yelled, carbine firing over Lerti's shoulder. "Go for it."

Her unseen grimace morphed into a grin as she stopped and slid her grenade launcher off her back. She quickly kneeled and fired off a few grenades, bouncing them off the jagged walls into the entrance behind them. She was rewarded with one of the tunnels collapsing, trapping whatever troopers were there.

"Please be careful, this structure is very old and you may bring the whole thing down on our heads!" Cenden yelled, although his advice went unheeded by the Mandolorian.

She took off running again, following her crew as they came into the courtyard. As her crewmates took cover and began to fire on the stormtroopers spilling into the room, Lerti erupted into the air as she activated her jetpack. Pushing herself quickly off the ground, she swivelled her body as she landed abruptly on one of the over hangs of what used to be the ceiling, giving her a view of the entire courtyard below.

Stormtroopers seemed to flood in from two of the three entrances. It was safe to bet that the third entrance held a trap for her and her crew members as they were being cornered into the only available "escape" route.

She ducked as bolt flew inches past her head. Tumbling behind one of the broken stone pillars still left on this level, another few shots fired past her. Below she could hear her teammate's rapid fire on the advancing troopers. Lerti took a breath, her fingers caressing the triggers of her blaster she had slid out of her holster.

Her breath let out.

Quickly the Mandalorian twisted and rose from her hiding spot and rained down as much fire as she could on any moving thing she knew to be an enemy.

Blasts whizzed by, she ducks and spins in anyway she can in order to evade oncoming fire, her arms always outstretched and firing back on her less than graceful attackers. Below, she watched Nek jab and swing his vibroblade at the distracted stormtroopers while Soron and Cenden kneeled opposite each other and focused fire on the tunnels.

' _Not a bad idea.'_ Lerti thought, again sliding the grenade launcher out from under the holder below her jetpack.

Ducking back behind her pillar, she reached up for her comm. "Guys, I'm going to blow out the tunnels. All three. Once the tunnels are down climb up top and we'll request our pickup. Sound like a plan!?"

"DO IT!" Soron yelled back through the comm.

Adjusting the smooth canister onto her shoulder, Lerti took aim. She had used up her blast bombs and was left only with the time detonated ones. They would have to do, she just had to launch them far enough into the tunnels that they wouldn't roll back into the courtyard.

She quickly pulled down the viewfinder on her helmet.

Breath in.

Breath out.

Fire!

One bomb in the hole. She readjusted her aim to the next tunnel.

Breath in.

Breath out.

Fire!

The bomb flew into the second tunnel.

 _BOOM!_

The whole temple shook as the first tunnel exploded into flames and flying troopers while the stones supporting the tunnel collapsed.

Aiming for the third tunnel she fired just as the second tunnel went up in flames and broken stone. She launched the last grenade into the third tunnel. On the ground she heard Soron calling Chol as all three of them remained hunched on the ground waiting for the last explosion.

Lerti squinted as she saw movement in the third tunnel.

White armor emerged from the shadows running forward with something blinking in her hand.

The trooper took a step.

They threw the bomb up towards the balcony.

"I hate when they try to be heroes." Lerti mumbled as she watched in frozen shock while the armed bomb came sailing towards her.

Lerti heard a shot from a blaster and a scream, quickly shaking herself out of it she turned and ran. Her blood pumping in her ears as she ran towards the sheer drop on the other side of the temple.

' _Jump off. Activate jetpack. Jump off. Activate jetpack. Jump off…'_

 _BOOM!_

Lerti felt her body go sailing forward as the ground collapsed beneath her. She tumbled about in a cascade of her own limbs and piercing rock debris for an eternity before she saw the ground beneath her and the world went dark with a violent thump.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Lerti groaned as she slowly regained consciousness.

' _Damn that hurt.'_ She hissed in pain as her left arm moved.

Coughing and sputtering she moved her limbs about under the dirt that had enclosed her. Stumbling to her feet, she held her burning arm as she looked around where she had fallen. Light poured in from a hole in the ground above, it seemed Lerti was down in some sort of underground cavern. The surrounding area seemed to be swimming in darkness and dust clouds. Below her feet, mounds of debris and flooring sections formed into a monumental pile.

She reached for her comm. Her hand hit the empty hair where the device normally hung on her side. Cursing, she looked about the cavern. Her comm must've been knocked off during the fall. Taking inventory, her blasters remained in place but it seemed her jetpack along with the grenade launcher had also managed to stage a vanishing act. Sighing she began to weigh her odds, if she stayed put Soron would be able to find her easy enough, but the troopers might get to her first.

Glancing over the edge of the pile, Lerti realized would have to slide down on her backside if she was going to keep moving but there was no telling how she'd be able to slow herself on the way down. She winced as she again became aware of the pain in her arm.

' _It's either take a much slower fall, or wait to see if a trooper decides to throw another grenade and this time right onto my head.'_ Lerti finally rationalized as she took one last look up at the sunlight streaming through into the gloom. ' _They better be ok.'_

Carefully shimmying to the edge on her bottom, Lerti's muscles tensed as she scooted off and rapidly began her descent to the darkened ground below. The rough ground beneath her seemed to poke and jab at her body as she skidded towards the ground. Cuts and scrapes seemed to suddenly appear on her body while she continued to clutch at her arm. Lerti's eyes remained locked on the ground's approach, her heart beating in her mouth.

She braced herself.

Her feet impacted the ground.

 _SPLASH._

Lerti gasped as she slid through the water and soft mud caking the surface of the cavern. She quickly landed with a soft squish onto her back.

Holding in a scream of pain, she took a breath and struggled out of the mud.

"Ok this is shaping up to be the opposite of a 'peaceful temple'." Lerti whispered angrily to herself.

She squinted through the shadows, off in the distance she saw the glimmer of light coming through the surface of the ground. An exit? Sighing, she began her trudge through the mud.

What were we even doing here?

What was _she_ doing here?

Did they think this was going to make some kind of difference? All these temples were filled with a whole-lotta-nothing. Up until a few weeks ago, she hadn't even believed the Jedi existed. But even Lerti had to admit, being through all these temples made her disgusted with herself that she had ever been lead to believe that the force-wielders were nothing more than fantasy. These had been the homes of hundreds of people at one time. The Empire laid waste to hundreds of villages and cities everyday, but to manage to wipe out the memory of such a vast quantity of people in such a seemingly short period of time was staggering to say the least.

I suppose she couldn't say that they hadn't been benefiting from the trips. The days they had been spent reading ancient history and proverbs and learning about the 'will of the force' had been genuinely interesting. Half of it was religious mumbo jumbo but she had taken a few of her favorite sayings to heart that were just good advice in general.

Lerti pushed on, the cold water soaking her into her clothes and chilling her to the bone. She kept her focus on the glow emanating from the water and not her shivering hurting body or the sow panic starting to build in her the darker the space around her became. Maybe the glow wasn't a way out, maybe it was her comm, or her jetpack, or…?

She stopped just above the light.

Just in front of her feet sat a some sort of device lodged just under the mud. Out of pure curiosity, the Mandalorian reached for the glow. Her gloved hand enclosing around the object, she gingerly raised what looked like some sort of decorative box out of the water.

"Wait… Is this one of those…?"

She heard movement behind her coming from the hole in the cavern ceiling.

Lerti turned to see the silhouette of someone being lowered down through the hole by someone above.

"LERTI!" Cenden's voice sounded, echoing through the underground.

"Do you see her down there!?" Soron called out from farther off.

"No! But I know she's down here!"

"HEY GUYS!" Lerti called out, waving her good arm holding the glowing. "CENDEN I FOUND ONE! I FOUND A HOLOCRON!"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"So...how do you open this thing?" Lerti asked, twisting the holocron about in her good arm, carefully examining each side.

In the medical room, Nek focused intently on binding up Lerti's fractured arm while Cenden stood in the doorway, appearing a million miles away.

"Would you be careful with that thing? Also, hold still. Seriously I don't want to mis-split your arm and have it wind up all crooked." Nek complained as he wound the bandages around the bacta, eyeing the box wearily.

"Cool your jets. And what? I don't the special healer's treatment like you got?" Lerti retorted back, glaring playfully at Nek.

At that, Cenden seemed to snap out of his daze. Sighing, he walked over to Lerti and held out his hand.

"Can I see it please?" He asked Lerti staring solemnly at the holocron.

Continuing her playful manner she smiled and laughed, "Finder's keepers, Jedi. Just tell me how to open it."

An exacerbated Cenden snatched the holocron from her grasp with a roll of his eyes.

"It can only be opened using the Force. The crystalline material reacts to the connection of the metachlorians or something like that. And as for your arm, I will attempt to heal it, but after I find what we're looking for using this." He explained gesturing with the holorcron, "Using the Force takes energy just the same as sprinting a few miles might. So be patient and I'll get to it."

"No 'thanks Lerti for finding the Jedi box'?" Lerti asked sarcastically.

For a moment, Cenden almost smiled, "Thank you Lerti. You did good."

"Darn right I did." Lerti responded as she hopped off the medical table. "Thanks for the patch up Nek. I'm going to go talk with Chol for a while, do either of you need any stemcafe or anything?"

"We should be offering that to you." Nek mentioned as he gathered the remainder bandages together.

"I can make some for myself." Lerti said with a shrug followed by a grimace before walking out of the room.

From some ways down the hall the remaining two could hear Lerti yell back, "May the Force be with you!"

Nek let out a small chuckle as he followed Cenden out of the med bay. "Good ole Lerti. Hey Cenden, where you going?" He asked their resident Jedi.

"My room, to open the holocron. Why do you ask?"

"Mind if I come with? I want to see it open" Nek asked as he followed him down the hallway, eyeing said holocron slightly.

"Why would you want to see that? It's just a box with some holograms and maps." Cenden replied as he slowed his pace slightly.

"Well…" Nek started, kicking the floor slightly, "I've heard so much about the Jedi, and considering I was nearly dead the last time you used the Force I'd really like to see you use it. If that's ok with you of course." Nek finished a bit sheepishly.

Cenden smiled a bit at the younger alien. "Of course. Just as long as you're quiet." He answered, getting a big grin from the Devaronian.

They both entered Cenden's new room, Cenden pausing a bit on entry. It was hard to believe at times that this was his room. Previously a miscellaneous storeroom, it now housed a low bed, a desk, and several shelves holding various pieces of Cenden's armor, books, and the odd trinkets from his temple guard days.

' _Certainly better than temple accommodations.'_ Cenden thought.

"Nek to Cenden, over. Can you hear me, over." Nek asked, waving his hands in front of Cenden's face.

The Jedi shook his head slightly. "Sorry. I spaced out for a second there."

"You do that a lot don't you?" Nek asked. "Ah forget about it, I should let you work." He said as he plopped down on the desk's chair.

"I guess it's hard not to with all the recent events going on… and their ability to connect to past events."

Nodding, Nek took on a silent composure as he watched Cenden.

Cenden didn't necessarily want Nek here for this. Heck, he didn't want to be here himself. Since the Order, it had felt like his own mind wanted to eat away at itself at the slightest thought of the sudden blasts and screaming of death.

For such a long time, he had told himself it was trauma. He gave himself meds for the mental strains, but it didn't help. It was more than that. He still felt the gnawing at his spirit. The fear in his heart threatening to overrun his every move.

It was the Force.

He'd know it all along, but something was so very wrong with it. The energy was still inside him, nothing had left but everything had changed. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but only change form. And his lifeforce had long ago morphed into something corrupted. He bottled it up, but it was still there. Twisted and misshapen by his own fear, and hatred, and distrust, for the very thing giving him power. He had sensed this power in the Sith before. He bottled it up so tight, the cork could almost not be loosened. More actions out of fear. But how could he go back to the trust the Jedi were so confident they had?

"The Force works in mysterious ways." He had heard that all his life. It never meant anything to him. Sometimes something unexplainably terrible would happen to someone who didn't deserve it, but "The Force works in mysterious ways" was always the answer. But that was no answer at all, it just meant, "We don't know. We will never know. Stop asking." Well now the Jedi probably wished they had asked further before the mystery was upon them in a swirling torrent of destruction. Their power could not save them when their power was against them.

Too many night of asking 'why?'

Too many days of buried thought.

' _What do I do? What could I have done?'_ Echoed in the back of Cenden's thoughts before dragging him back to reality.

"Nek. I never thought I would ever see one of these things again. In all honesty, I never wanted to. But I guess if anyone is going to be here for anything, it should be you. You happened to drag me back into this, I guess we may as well continue from there." Cenden said as he stared at the holocron in his hand.

Nek stared too, whispering, "I think we both know coincidences don't exist."

Cenden took a breath.

Sitting down onto his bed, he closed his eyes.

His stomach twisted in knots in anticipation.

' _You have to be honest with yourself now. This is the time to find answers.'_ Cenden thought to himself. ' _You're nervous because you're afraid. Afraid to see what you've become. The Force is still with you, but for how much longer can you live like this? Trying to hide from yourself? From the future?…'_ His thoughts went silent for a moment as he felt a shiver run down his spine. A thought came to his mind that didn't feel like his own. But it felt more real than any thought he had had in a long time. ' _You're afraid the holocron won't open for you because you don't want it to. You think you feel betrayed, but is that how you really feel? The Force is with you Cenden. It is you. So… How does the Force feel about itself?'_

"I don't know." Cenden mumbled into the pulsating blue light of the holocron.

' _Keep going. Find out.'_

The Force built up inside him. It flowed through his body and around his being. It caressed the holocron through his fingertips like an old friend. He felt the Force's eyes on him. Watching him in suspicion. He felt that gnawing again.

"Please. I don't want to be in the dark anymore." Cenden whispered a prayer, his eyes draped shut.

A rush on energy burst through him suddenly.

He gasped as his body convulsed slightly and the holocron flew from his fingertips, unraveling in the air.

Cenden's being relaxed slightly but he still buzzed with the energy as star charts, files, teaching opened from the Jedi's data keeper.

Cenden stood slowly, bringing up the star chart, "Show us where to go."

A connection unrolled from his soul, glancing over the planets. It moved from one to the next, like an insect flitting from flower to flower.

It settled suddenly and forcefully over a spot. An empty spot.

No not empty, nearly invisible. It had settled over a small moon scattered among thousands surrounding a planet he was not familiar with.

"This one." Cenden reached out and marked it with his fingertip.

"That one? Why?" Nek asked quietly.

Almost as if to answer and without warning, the Force convulsed once again inside him, violently bringing all the energy released back on his mind.

As his vision went dark, he smiled a bit.

' _It's been awhile since I've had a vision.'_ He thought as his body crumpled to the floor.


	7. Interlude 2: Skips A Beat

Disclaimer: I ( draksisreborn) own nothing but my OCs. Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. Many thanks to zazabelle once again for making this possible with me. This chapter/interlude is much shorter than the others, as it was originally cut from chapter 4. We felt that it made chapter 4 much too long and drawn out, but couldn't bear to simply delete it. SO here we are. Please review and enjoy this latest installment.

Rating: T

' _You know you have to move forward.'_

' _There's a reason that room opened.'_

' _What if that reason is just that you're destined to fail?'_

I wiggled about uncomfortably as I tried to find comfort in the stars that filled the night sky. Tonight, I had made my way up to one of the tattered roofs of the temple while I tried desperately to escape that room. Ever since that room opened up in the library, my guide has wanted me to do nothing else but go into it. I've continued with other branching paths. Read holocrons, reenact battles, exploring the temple, writing whatever, but they all came back to the same outcome.

' _Go back into the scary tunnel Vis. Come on, it'll be fun.'_

No it won't be fun my guide, no offense.

I lay on my back, listening and taking in the cosmos. Through my guide, I could see a strange movement over the sky, like waves of the sea. Energy swarming and crashing, ebbing and flowing, all mixing together in an infinite exchange of life and probability, it's a beautiful dance.

It's hard to believe at times that I used to be scared of the dark, of being anywhere other than tucked away in my bed really. But I learned in time the night is a gift, able to, just for a while, hide the imperfections of all things so you can only see what's in front of you in perfect silhouetted beauty. Great peace can always be found during such times… and yet.

I felt my leg begin twitching almost uncontrollably.

I thought I was past fears.

I thought I was past pain.

And then a new path opened.

I felt my thoughts begin to swirl at the thought of the darkness that had opened up in the temple library. The gateway that had suddenly activated without warning, and more importantly, without reason. The hallway that had opened up, lead down somewhere dark. Not dark like the night, dark like the sleep of death. A place where even the veins of the temple did not stretch down or cast their light.

I had walked up to the doorway, the Force nearly pushing me in, yet it felt wrong. How could that be?

Then the darkness that enveloped me.

And I ran out. I ran away from the path.

I shuddered and sat up.

I looked off into space, the images around me growing funny as my eyes zoned out. I reached out, tenderly and purposefully towards the Force.

"My guide. I never really thought I was afraid of anything, I've never felt in myself a reason to worry with you by my side. With you showing me the paths, the twists and turns, I've never truly been alone… But that room. It's so dark in there. Not like the dark of the sky, it's dark like…" I quickly stood, I didn't want to sit still. I squeezed my eyes shut, "Nothingness. The dark like nothingness. It showed me something I didn't even know I needed to fear."

Wrapping my arms around myself, I tried to calm my breathing.

"I-I couldn't feel you when I was in there. You disappeared. I never considered that a possibility. How could you still want me to go in there? How could you want me to go to a place where you aren't? That place is a poison. I never realized that could ever be a reality until I stepped in there! Is that a reality that could happen? One where I lose my connection? I lose my powers? A reality where I lose you? My guide… I've never felt so alone except in that one moment. Why did you bring me there? Why does it exist? What's going to happen that I needed to feel that!?"

A shiver ran through my body.

A path opened up.

I laughed, almost relieved as the Force pulled me along.

Pulling me over to near the edge of the rooftop, I felt the Force envelope my being, position my being, and preparing me for something.

Suddenly, I could almost hear my mother's words in my ear. The memory of our old scavenging game my family had played with me, once again came to the forefront of my mind. The guide placing me in the place of another.

' _Pretend you were them. What would they have done? What would they have felt?'_

I smiled at the presence of my invisible friend.

"I love this game!" I spoke excitedly as the play-pretend began.

I took a step forward, suddenly imaging I was the pilot of a ship, sailing amongst the stars. I caressed the control panel of my ship before flipping the switches on some consoles and the ship hummed to life. Making the sound of the engine with my lips, I rushed forward steering through incoming fire.

Skipping forward, I became someone new.

Swinging my arm forward, I pretended to wield some sort of double bladed weapon. Smiling and laughing, I took a stab at an unknown object. Realizing things sometimes needed to be taken apart in order to be fixed. Was I an engineer?

Leaping through the air, I imagined the feeling of flying through the air. A new character joined my ranks. A fighter, swift and fearless. I slid a canister of some kind onto my shoulder, imaging the heavy weapon shooting bombs like fireworks into the sky.

Next, I felt myself become a powerful and precise being. Calculating and cold, but different and understanding nonetheless. I took a running start towards a boulder in the roof and jumped to the other side.

Rolling forward, I became a captain, defending and leading his crew into the great unknown. Looking for something for himself, for his crew…

Realization passed through me as I kept up the fighting motions, "These people aren't me. That feeling you showed me in the temple… it's what people feel like without you, isn't it? Alone and adrift."

With a final jab, the fighting motions ceased for a moment.

The Force took my hand and lead me along.

"Where are we going?" I asked, the thought of epic battles still being played out around me as we walked towards one of the collapsed edges of the roof.

A pile of debris made a small ramp from the roof into the floor below. Walking down into the hole, I came to a room I had only glanced over in the temple. It was completely empty except for some piles of rock debris.

My senses flared out.

There was something in here.

Walking carefully across the room, I stopped over a pile of rocks. The Force highlighting something about the rocks in my brain.

I reached down and grabbed one. Dust spilled off of the surprisingly light object.

I coughed as I brushed away more of the dirt.

In my hands I held a mask, one of those worn by Jedi temple guards I believe. I had read about them in a few of the holocrons along with the jobs of several other Jedi and Sith.

Suddenly, I felt the power of a lightsaber in my hand. A hood draped about my face. I heard shots being fired and screams. I placed the mask over my face with a smile.

"Someone's coming. Aren't they?"

I felt new paths open. I had more to do before I could sleep tonight. I think some sort of purpose was about to be fulfilled.

"We're not done with the scary tunnel, are we?"

I sneezed.


	8. Chapter 5: Temple

Disclaimer: I ( draksisreborn) own nothing but my OCs. Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. Many thanks to zazabelle once again for making this possible with me. So yeah, this chapter took forever. Part of that is school starting up again for both of us, part of it is that we both had bouts of writer's block. But its here now and extra long. Thank you everyone for getting this story to over 200 views, it means a lot to both of us. Please enjoy this latest installment and feel free to drop a review.

Rating: T

' _The fire, the smoke, the agony._

 _I couldn't breath._

 _I couldn't think._

 _I didn't want to anymore.'_

"Wake up Cenden. Come on, wake up."

Cenden heard a voice as he watched the ship collapsing around him in flames.

He took in a sudden breath as his eyes flew open to blurry blobs and shapes.

His mind caught up with him and he slowed his breathing. Groaning he pushed himself into a sitting position. His head still pounded as he felt the buzzing feeling of a vision still swarming around in his mind.

Leaning up against his bed, he looked over towards the now solid figures of the crew standing crowded near him in his room with BX awkwardly leaning through the doorway.

"What happened Cenden? You just kind of collapsed and the holocron locked itself up again!" Nek rapidly fired out, holding the holocron out to him in a panic.

"Calm down Nek, I can open it again." Cenden mumbled almost irritated as he rubbed his temples and took the holocron back from the Devoranian.

It was nice that he could say he could open it again with confidence though.

Lerti stepped forward.

"Ok, so explain what happened? You just have fainting man syndrome or something?" The Mandalorian teased, a hint of true interest in her voice.

At that, like a rush of water, the vision came flooding back through Cenden's mind. His eyes flickered across the images he saw before his subconscious. He had to fight to keep his breathing steady.

' _A temple. A crash. What am I supposed to tell them?'_

"I...I had a vision." Cenden answered, trying to sort through the disturbing images still seared into his brain.

"What did you see?" Now Soron asked, yellow eyes filled with curiosity.

"I'm not sure. There was a temple. I've never zeen anything like it before… It wasn't quite a Jedi temple that was for sure. Yet it didn't look Sith either." Cenden replied, uncertainty littering his words as he stroked his thumb across the holocron in his hand.

"Well? Can you show us? Do you know what planet it's on?" Chol finally spoke, eyeing the device.

Cenden nodded, a pit dropping in his stomach. Bracing his arm on the bed side, he pushed himself into standing position, his body almost feeling hollow.

He let the Force come rushing into his mind, it filled his thoughts easily enough but it felt like pushing on a bruise. Letting the Force take hold of the holocron it lifted steadily from his fingers and began to unlock.

The glow emanated across the room as a star map sprang to life out of the tetradecagon surrounded by orbiting pyramids. Nek smiled while the rest of the crew stood, watching in amazement as the device seemed to be floating through the air held up by nothing. Even BX seemed to lean further into the doorway, a touch of curiosity seeming to appear in his empty eyes.

"It's here, on the edge of the Unknown Regions." Cenden told as he stepped forward and enhanced an area on the star map, pointing to one of the many moons surrounding a large gas planet.

"I recognize that planet." Cholmon cut in. "I've overheard pirates talking about that planet's moons containing unimaginable riches, but most disappear or give up after the fifth moon or so." Cholmon explained as the crew looked at him.

"You can you get us there?" Soron and Cenden asked simultaneously, their tones conveying very different questions.

"I can put us in the planet's orbit, but… uh, can we use the holocron thingy to tag the right moon? I won't be able target our trajectory if the moon's not on my star maps." Cholmon replied, scratching his chin.

"Are you sure it's the best idea to go straight there? What if the Empire is waiting?" Cenden asked, a slight bit of worry in his voice.

"Cholmon should have no trouble with them, this ship is stealthier than it looks. Not to mention we can easily use the other moons to lose them if they chase us." BX stated. Cholmon thanked him with a nod of his head.

"I still think it's a big risk." Cenden mumbled. Lerti looked at him, dumbstruck.

"Weren't you the one who just had a vision of this place? Why are you the one second guessing this?"

"Enough." Soron interrupted. "I'm sure he's just worried, as we all should. Chol how long should it take for us to reach the moon?"

"Probably a couple of days minimum, a week tops. I'll go plug in the coordinates." He replied, exiting the room with his hands in his pockets.

"Good. Nek, I want to go do a check up on the engine and weapon systems, we're behind schedule on those. BX, be on standby to assist Chol with navigation. Lerti and Cenden, make sure your gear is ready for when we touch down. I'll broadcast an update when we arrive in the system." Soron finished, dismissing everyone. The crew minus Cenden nodded and went to do their jobs, while Cenden sat mulling over his vision.

' _I have to warn Soron about what I saw.'_ He thought as he exited his room and chased after the Shistavanen.

"Soron, can I have a word? _In private._ " He whispered to his captain.

Soron raised an eyebrow then nodded.

"Walk with me." The captain said gesturing as he turned and continued forward.

The two walked down the turning and twisting hallways of the ship. Cenden followed along in a daze. The still unfamiliar paths hardly passing his thoughts as he followed Soron into his room.

Taking in the simple bed and desk as well as the workbench, terminal, and small collection of books, Cenden was surprised to see the window that dominated the far wall, giving a glimpse into the vast expanse of space. Most quarters tried to avoid having that sort of installment for safety purposes, Soron must've had it specially installed for his room.

"So," Soron began, pulling up two foldable chairs in front of the window, "What is it that you wish to discuss?"

"The Force...showed me something in my vision." Cenden began, taking a seat next to Soron.

"That's what visions tend to do right?" Soron said with a smirk.

Cenden tried to smile as he ran his hand over the back of his neck, "I'm not even sure how to explain what those are like."

"I'm guessing how they work isn't important right now is it?"

"It was something horrible." Cenden continued, causing his captain's demeanor to sour immediately. "It was of a ship crashing, breaking apart in the atmosphere before exploding on impact. I saw only one person escape, though I couldn't make out their features."

"And you're sure this has to do with our destination?" Soron asked.

"That ship crashed into our destination. And I think the ship is _our_ ship." Cenden finished. He watched Soron mull this over, eyes staring into the endless black expanse. The seconds turned into minutes as Cenden grew fidgety as Soron remained silent while the Jedi's own mind snapped from one thought to the next. Cenden felt fear rising in him again.

"What would you have me do?" Soron finally asked, pulling Cenden back into reality.

Cenden's eyes went wide.

"Isn't it obvious? Don't go there! Do you really want your crew to die!?" Cenden asked hysteria taking hold of him.

"Of course not!" Soron shot back. "But what other choice do we have? It's clear that we are supposed to go to this moon, who are we to argue with that?" Seeing Cenden open his mouth to argue he continued. "And besides, this may not have been our ship. But even if it is, it could just be one possibility among many, meant to test our determination." He saw that Cenden was still unconvinced. Sighing, he continued, "Didn't the Jedi of old put their trust in the Force, even when all signs pointed towards failure?"

"What reason do I have to put trust in _it_ in return!?"

The two went silent.

Soron squeezed at the bridge of his nose.

"Cenden, I… I don't know how to convince you otherwise. In case you haven't noticed, we don't exactly have a goal in mind here. We're just a bunch of mercenaries, tossed aside by whatever society is left in an ever expanding universe under the control of madmen with just as little idea about how everything really works as we do. Nothing is truly defined for us. All my life, I've wanted more. Not more material gain, but more knowledge. I want to do something that really matters, but when I try and think about what that might be, it's like I've drawn a blank at the edge of time."

Soron sighed again. "I don't know why I do any of this. It's not like I'm just going to suddenly become ' _one with the universe'_ or some crap. There just has to be more than this. It would be foolish otherwise. A foolish waste of life."

Cenden was silent for a moment, "There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force." Cenden looked to Soron, an understanding passing between them.

"Back when I was a temple guard for the Jedi Order, the younger generations used to make fun of such sayings, but now I see zhe comfort in it. Soron, if you are truly going to learn to follow the Force, and if I am going to learn to put trust in it again, then I have to start remembering the truth. There is no death with the Force, but life is still worth discovering."

"There is no life without discovery." Soron said smiling as he stood.

Cenden gave a small nod and stood in return.

"I swear you are at least 10 times more spiritual than half the Jedi I ever knew. Alright. Let's go to the vision moon then!" Cenden laughed as the two shook hands.

The captain and the Jedi turned to leave.

"We should probably tell the crew there's a chance we might die though."

"But there's also a chance we might discover something great." Soron finished.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Dawn light filtered through the enormous accidental skylight running through the temple's interior. Mist rose up through any breaks in the temple's walls and waltzed through the decaying entrance, blanketing the ground.

From where I watched, all I wanted to do was cannonball down into the ground clouds.

I imagined myself falling endlessly through the mist void, tumbling through beams of light, the cool wind roaring around me. Wings flew from my shoulders and carried me across a sea of sky fluff. It was all very gray.

I shook myself from my daydream with nervous excitement, ' _Focus Vis. They could be here any moment. Right?'_

I felt the Force surround my mind. In the distance of time, I could feel a presence walking among the ruins, still at least what felt like several days away. But it could be sooner or later. Either way I had to be ready.

"Alright, let's go over this again."

I sat tucked away in a nook crumbled out of a wall in the temple that had long since been eroded by water damage and such. For me, it made a nice little hidey hole type room overlooking the far left half of the temple plus the one of the main entrances to the whole first building. No one's ever made the effort to get past my traps or the Force's traps, but there's a first time for everything.

I was so excited I could barely sleep. The shifting hue of my freckles, I guessed, were in their bright green state of ecstasy 24/7.

The Force was excited for me too I think. In the middle of the night I would feel my own spirit intertwine with it's and pull me from my sleep to the edges of the "balcony" outside each room to watch the stars through the sky light. On some night I would catch a glimpse of several moons or even a HUGE planet in the sky, and I could just smile and laugh.

Wherever whoever or whatever was coming going to be from that planet? Where they going to be from the other edge of the galaxy!? Sometimes on those night I would just close my eyes and let my mind unravel across the stars. Letting my guide lead me through nebulas and star systems and space ships passing through it all…

Pulling myself from the thoughts once again, a smile quickly stretched from one end of my face to the other.

Taking a shaky breath, I reached over to my side and grabbed the smooth round cylinder resting a few safe inches away from me. The weight of the damaged lightsaber felt calming and cool in my grasp. I couldn't believe I had found one. Or rather, that the Force had finally shown me where in the temple to find one. I was tempted to relive the little adventure in my head, but I had more pressing matters to attend to.

I adjusted the possible death tube away from my face, making sure my fingers weren't on the trigger, I decided to hold the saber upside down. It just felt safer. I didn't have a physical master of any kind, but it wouldn't make much sense to give a deadly weapon to a 13 year old, much less use it. But who was I kidding? I was definitely going to turn it on. Just not when I was jumping from a ledge onto the slippery mist floor.

' _Now for the finishing touch!'_ I thought to myself now grabbing the temple guard mask.

I slid the mask over my face, letting it rest snuggly on my temples. Surprisingly, I could see out of the slits in the mask really well! It wasn't perfect, but it didn't totally suck either.

"Why didn't more Jedi wear these? They seem like such a great idea!" I asked the Force.

I could almost hear it laughing. That was the best feeling in the whole galaxy.

"Ok, show me where to go!" I laughed back to it.

I gathered the Force around me.

A dominant scenario begin to be strung from one marker, one foot step, one flying leap after another.

I would fight someone as soon as they walked past me.

There was a chance I'd win and a chance I'd loose.

It didn't matter if I lost, I was just suppose to do my best and that would do it.

I laughed and leapt down from my spot.

I stood and felt myself in the right path turn on my lightsaber, I would speak, they would speak. I ran forward. I swung up, ducked right, rolled across the ground, swung as I spun, jabbed twice, got punched in the mask, went with the momentum, rolled again, swung.

From there it branched off into three highly likely scenarios that I couldn't quite make out. But if I just followed the first steps, everything would work out.

"Will they be a friend? Someone I know? ...A Force wielder!?" I asked excited, I didn't want to speculate but this is huge! "I can't believe someone's finally coming for me. Someone finally heard you. They know I'm here… This whole training thing is to prove myself right?"

The Force caressed a few of my thoughts, it was hard to make out, but at least I knew I was right somehow with one of those!

"I'm going to turn the lightsaber on now."

I pressed the switch.

The lightsaber ignited, sparks flew out of it, and a burst of white hot light shot out of it.

"OH SHOOT."

A shock flew through me.

I dropped the saber as I fell on my butt.

"Ow ow ow…" My arm felt all tingling,

I took off the mask. Examining my arms, nothing much had happened except my freckles turning bright yellow and red with shock and fear. I let out a breath before I started laughing and plopped onto my back.

"Could've warned me about that!" I looked at the saber, "...Huh. Ok I see where you were going with that, I have the idea now."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

' _I… I will go. I never thought we'd see the day when a real opportunity presented itself, and if it's fate we die, then we die searching.'_

' _Well I, for one, am going. Vision or not, I'm the pilot of this ship, and we have a mission. Would it honestly help to worry about something petty like death?'_

' _The logic in vision is not within my coding. Logic in attempt is, however.'_

' _...I don't know. One minute you all are trying to convince me stuff like the Force actually exists. Now I know it's real and we're choosing to take a chance on something like flying right into death? That, to me, seems rash, and risky, and wrong... I thought I'd never rub off on you guys. I'm in. But if I die, I swear I will kill all of you, starting with Cenden.'_

Soron stood in the cockpit, gazing out into the massive gas planet looming through space as Chomon began his change in direction towards a small moon.

Cholmon looked to his captain one last time for confirmation, an unspoken question in his eyes. Soron stood and reflected on the crew's reaction to Cenden's vision of a fiery crash.

' _Could this really be it?'_ Soron's mind whispered.

Soron tried to shake himself out of the feeling of being torn between contemplating his last thoughts or focusing on the present. He took a breath of uncertainty and with that, nodded to Chol before reaching for the comm.

"Alright everyone, this is it. Cholmon will be setting us down via Cenden's instructions. I want Cenden, Lerti, and Nek in the cargo hold ready to go. BX will stay with Cholmon and serve as our rear guard." Soron paused. "Be prepared for anything but cower from nothing. May the Force be with us." He finished as he shut off the comm and sat in the copilot's seat. Even if he couldn't pilot to save his life he wanted to be there to see this through.

"Ya know you don't have to be up here right? I can handle everything on my own." Cholmon commented as the ship dipped towards the moon.

"I know, but… this is what we've been looking for for so long. I mean, we've been temple robbing for long enough, you and me especially; it's nice to be going somewhere with understanding and purpose rather than a blaster. " Soron replied as the moon loomed up on them.

"Don't need to remind me. I still remember when we first met." The pilot replied.

Any further conversation was cut off when the ship began to shake slightly as they entered the atmosphere.

The ship's hull dipped slowly into the ozone layer of the moon, falling into orbit around the moon's surface.

Cholmon's fingers twitched across the console, his eyes darting nervously from one system status to another.

Soron's eyes remained locked ahead, his hands laid steadily across the controls, ready to do whatever he could muster up inside himself to help.

The ship shook.

The two looked at each other.

The ship shook again, violently jolting about the sky.

Cholmon reached for his comm, "BX! Are you still in the engine room!? How are we looking down there!?"

"Everything is running smoothly. We seem to only be experiencing turbulence."

"Turbulence. When we were prophesied to die in a fiery crash. Lovely." Chol mumbled to himself, his eyes locked on the sky.

"Don't talk like that. Show some faith." Soron spat back, the fur along the ridge of his neck visibly standing on end no matter how calm his demeanor claimed to be. "Cenden. Any idea where we're needing to land yet?"

Down in the cargo hold, Cenden, Lerti, and Nek stood. They had all three braced themselves up against the hold wall, grasping onto the railings lining the walls.

"Not yet Soron. I'll let you know when I'm told." Cenden answered back, glancing wearily at the supplies of Lerti's rocket launcher ammo. "I wish that wasn't on the ship."

"Shut up." Lerti shot back at Cenden.

Cenden sighed.

' _Ok, no fear. Just trust.'_ He let his eyes fall shut.

He reached out into the Force. His mind unraveling through clouds of thought and emotion. He connected with the energy inside himself, the energy, his mind, continued to push through the clouds and into the energy within the space around him in the ship. He unraveled further, into the sky around them, he stretched out across the planet.

A pressure in his mind built up as he reached across the world.

Then he felt it.

The Force took the line and tied it to the land. Like an anchor in the sea, the man was tethered to the marker. The Force gushed and pulsated about the marker. Burrowing deep into the earth, it veined out across the planet, like a heart.

"Soron! Chol! We have our heading!"

"Where are we landing?" Chol answered back.

"Keep heading east, in about thirty minutes there should be a strip of clearing in the landscape below. What do we know about this moon?" Cenden commanded.

Chol cleared his throat, "From what I remember, it's mainly a deciduous forest biome, but the forest floor looks more like a jungle marsh. Colder up north, warmer down south, and not inhabited. Though as I told you, it does have a reputation for driving people away."

The ship jolted again.

Lerti could hear Nek praying under his breath.

Maybe she should've ditched the explosives.

BX came over the comms.

"We have a slight leak in one of the backup compressors. It will now be fixed promptly."

"We're ok everyone. Just stick to the course." Soron's voice came next over the comms.

For the next thirty minutes, everyone sat about, waiting. They either talked quietly in the cargo hold, or made weather observations up the cockpit, but it all felt wasteful. Like any words at all would not amount to what could be their last words. So then, everyone sat in silence. Of course, then even their thoughts felt unimportant.

Cenden assumed a state of meditation, something he hadn't done in a while. It felt nice to just let his mind wander through the Force, it's purposes, it's paths, it's thoughts. Eventually, he could even sense the wind currents surrounding the ship, predicting the next bump in the current or shift in the torrent. He pushed down his fear, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to sense a point of crash.

This was comforting at first, but in the back of his mind, he knew that just because you couldn't sense something was about to happen, didn't mean it wouldn't happen. He learned that the hard way once, he didn't want to relearn that again.

His thoughts were interrupted and his heart skipped a beat as Chol's voice came over the comms suddenly.

"I see our landing spot! We're heading down! Seven minutes and counting 'til we make landfall."

The three pilgrims in the cargo hold gathered together readying themselves to make leave.

Lerti stood adjusting her armor and helmet, "Ya know Cenden, I'm actually glad I'm here to get to do this. I would've thought I would've had to stay on the ship. I'm not exactly ' _the spiritual type'_ ya know."

"Oh we know." Nek piped.

"Anyway. Just, I guess, maybe you're not totally as useless or fake as I originally thought." Lerti finished, tweaking the positions of her holsters.

"Wait. Was that a complement? Or an apology?" Cenden smiled mockingly at her.

"For the second time today, shut up." Lerti retorted, "And yes."

Nek laughed. Perhaps out of humor, perhaps out of hysteria. Either way it was a much needed sound as the ship made its final descent.

Cholmon and Soron both let out a sigh of relief as the ship brushed the tips of the treetops before touching down in the clearing, contrasted with the sound of Lerti and Nek's faint cheering coming from the cargo hold.

"Guess it's time to see what there is. I'll keep in contact with you and BX." Soron said as he stood up and left the room. Cholmon gave a simple nod in response.

Soron quickly stopped by his room to grab his 9118 carbine before entering the cargo hold to see the shore party armed and ready.

"Alright everyone," He said as he opened the cargo door, revealing the lush jungle. "Same procedure as last time. Cenden and I will take the lead while Lerti and Nek will cover the rear. Now then, let's get this started." He finished as he readied his carbine and stepped outside.

Lerti smirked and gave a mock war cry. "Let's go desecrate some ancient history!" She shouted, earning mild chuckles from the group as they advanced.

The trees loomed up around them, the heart-shaped leaves tipped in purple. The trucks grew so close together they crew could barely see a hundred yards past where they stood.

"So where now, Master Jedi?" Lerti asked wistfully as she looked out across the scene.

Cenden still felt the tether pulling at his energy, drawing him into the woods.

"I guess we just follow the Force." Cenden mumbled, he felt eerily at peace here.

"Easier said than done for us I suppose." Soron responded, his voice the same peaceful murmur.

Nek remained silent, his eyes wide and darting about.

"Chol we'll keep you posted." Soron informed the pilot over the comms.

Cenden started forward, the other following close behind as they wove their way through the dense flora. Everything was so peaceful, so beautiful. It didn't feel real.

"So there's really a Jedi temple on this moon?" Nek asked, his voice sounding far off.

"Maybe not a Jedi temple, but a temple, yes." Cenden answered.

"I believe it." Nek sighed.

Cenden smiled.

The Force felt different here. It felt more open and alive. The deep connection with nature here definitely helped, he had to admit, it had been a while since he'd been on a planet not in the city territory. But was so calm here, he didn't even need to lift a finger to his weapons…

 _CRACK!_

His thoughts were cut off as Lerti suddenly disappeared from sight, falling deep into a hole that had not been there a second earlier. Nek let out a yelp of surprise and Cenden rushed over to the hole.

"Lerti!" He shouted. "Are you al…" He trailed off as Lerti slowly rose out of the hole with her jetpack, arms crossed.

"You two forgot I had this didn't you?" She deadpanned, earning sheepish looks from the human and Devaronian. As she touched down Soron knelt by the hole, examining it.

"To be fair, you did lose it last time." Nek joked.

"Probably just a sinkhole or something." Lerti said with a shrug as she continued walking.

"No." Soron said, stopping her in her tracks. "This looks like a trap. A primitive one, but a trap all the same." He said, standing up and facing the group.

"Are you saying that someone is trying to keep us out?" Nek asked. All eyes turned to Cenden.

"Maybe. It's unlikely given the temple's age and location, but with how strong the Force here is it's possible these were set up centuries ago." The Jedi replied.

Soron's hair bristled a bit before he calmed the involuntary action. "We aren't going to let this someone try and keep us out. We've come too far. But we will be more careful from now on." He said, earning nods from the others as they continued moving, their formation tightening the closer they got to the temple.

However, Soron felt each step grow more tiresome, the peaceful and calm feeling that had earlier had such a powerful hold on their consciousnesses had turned into a growing sense of calm before the storm. A pressure had built up and with each step it grew more and more urgent. Soron gave a quick glance around the group confirmed that they felt it too. Soron chalked it up to the presence he felt, which had gone from a light prodding on his mind to a full fledged assault on his psyche. His head ached, his legs felt like they were encased in durasteel, and his mind at war with the presence.

Yet it felt different, like the fear existed outside his own mind and was trying to force its way through. Everything felt groggy or anxious.

But he trudged on. He wouldn't let this presence control him, he hadn't let himself give into that since-

He sighed, "Cenden, do you know how much farther? Or are we being lead somewhere else?"

"I honestly can't tell at this point, I still have the lead, but I can't be for sure that it's where we _want_ to go or where we _need_ to go."

The pressure kept building.

Lerti groaned and clutched at her head, "Anyone else have a headache?"

"What is that?" Nek asked rubbing at his own temples.

"I'm not sure." Cenden mumbled, he felt it but it wasn't bothering him so much.

Was… was the Force trying to connect with them?

"We should… keep moving." Soron stuttered.

The captain looked terrible. His eyes darting from one place to another, his breath seemed heavily, his whole demeanor was that of a man who had been fighting for all too long, but he was still fighting.

He moved Cenden aside and kept walking forward, Lerti followed behind.

"Hey wait. Soron. Lerti." Cenden exclaimed following them through the brush. "Maybe we should take a rest? I'm not sure what's going on, but it seems to be taking a toll on everyone."

"We. Are. Fine!" Soron suddenly snapped.

"Hey I'm just trying to help!"

"Well maybe you should keep your mouth shut and just stick to your Jedi mumbo jum…"

"Hey guys?" Lerti interjected.

"What!?" The two said at once.

"Where's Nek?"

Everyone went silent.

"Nek? Nek!?" Soron shouted.

Nothing.

They looked around them, nothing looked familiar at all.

"What the heck!? Where did he go!?" Lerti's voice laced with panic as she leapt through the nearest brush patch. "This has to be the way we came!"

She screamed.

Soron and Cenden leapt through the brush.

Lerti had disappeared.

"What in the galaxy is going on!?" Soron screamed.

"Soron…" Cenden put a hand on his shoulder.

A ruined temple now lay in front of them, stretching for miles in any direction, buried in the earth and grown into the trees. An involuntary gasp escaped the two. Soron was astounded by the age of the temple and its beauty, despite the many collapsed walls and plant life that seemed to be choking the life out of the building itself. It looked different from any other temple they had explored, just as Cenden had said, and despite his awe he felt a nagging fear in the back of his mind, a fear of what this temple held. Did this really have answers or more dead ends?

The pressure broke.

Soron's mind seized up.

He crumbled to the ground.

"Captain!" Cenden yelled driving for his falling body, his dead weight nearly pulling him to the ground with him.

Grabbing the captain around the arm and waist, he hoisted him up. Whatever was going on, the temple was there only source of shelter where they could contact Chol.

He dragged Soron towards the temple, the building drawing him in, yet still seeming weary in his sensing of the place.

The Jedi came to the first entrance he could see, old crumbling stairs sunken into the ground leading up to an equally crumbling gateway.

His feet marched heavily up the nearly decayed steps and through the cool, vine ladened entry way. He set Soron down and checked the man's pulse. He was alive, good.

Standing, he looked about the immense foyer of the temple. Deep pools bore into the ground along with the most noticeable feature being the giant hole stretching from the ceiling to the ground floor.

Walking forward, he emerged from the shadows into the sunlight from the sky pouring through.

' _How did that happen?'_ Cenden wondered.

He felt the Force suddenly break around him, centering around movement behind him.

He turned as a gray figure leapt from a crack in the wall, green trench coat fluttering through the air.

They stood, a mask he never thought he'd see again placed across the figure's face.

A Temple Guard.

Their green lightsaber flashed to life.

"What are you doing in my home?"


	9. Chapter 6: A Heart of the Temple

Disclaimer: We ( draksisreborn and zazabelle) own nothing but our OCs. Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. It's finally here! We took a long time on this one, mostly because school decided to slam both of us simultaneously. Hopefully now that we have this important story chapter down the next ones will come quicker. Anyways, please review and enjoy this latest installment.

Rating: T

Cenden's stomach twisted in knots.

His eyes locked on the crackling green glow held in the hands of a masked ghost.

His hand reached slowly towards one of the back folds hanging across his belt to the smooth and broken cylinder of his own lightsaber.

' _This has to be one of the temple's tricks. This can't be real.'_

"Who are you?" Cenden's voice rang across the ruins.

The ghost tilted its head, as if considering the question, but it did not answer. He watched its steady breathing in the light of the saber growing quicker.

The smaller figure sprinted forward.

His lightsaber ignited.

 _PSHOOM._

The sabers clashed and locked into place. Their light radiating in sparks. Green and yellow, both damaged with time and charred from battle. Cenden's once double-bladed saber staff long reduced to nothing more than a broken half.

The two held their positions for a moment longer, the soulless slits of the mask staring coldly at the Jedi behind the blade.

Over the noise of the sabers, it spoke.

"Finally!" It shouted, suddenly ducked right as Cenden stabbed out to hit the air.

From the corner of his eye as he turned he watched as the figure tumbled across the space. He reached out to the Force, the environment suddenly rushing into him. He felt the Force moving through and and around the figure as well as he sensed their next move.

They swung their saber as they spun off the ground.

He stepped back.

They turned and jabbed at his body, he took another step back and blocked the next attack, pushing the saber out of the way, his fist swung forward and collided with the figure's mask, sending them flying.

They rolled with the impact and swung once more before retreating several steps back.

It tilted its head once again, lowering its face as it adjusted its mask.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this." It explained solemnly.

Its head suddenly shot up.

Fear filled Cenden.

The Force built up around them both, exploding like a cannon from within Cenden.

The temple guard gasped as they went flying. Their lightsaber fell from their hand as they zoomed rapidly into the wall nearest them. He watched in fear as the impact looked like it was cushioned by nothing at all before they fell to the ground. They lay there for a moment before rising slowly to their feet, the mask falling from the figure's face.

"What…?" Cenden whispered as the figure came into view.

It wasn't a ghost. It wasn't an illusion.

It was a girl. A girl no older than 13 years old stood in front of him.

Her huge slanted eyes and messy dark brown hair seemed the only thing completely human about her. Spiny ridged plates crested across her yellow-tan face, and her skin littered with freckles shifting about in all colors of the spectrum.

She looked as shocked and confused as he felt.

"The Force…" She spoke hesitantly, "I can feel it moving inside you… It's corrupted. How could you use it like that!?"

Cenden stood in shocked silence for a moment.

"I… Who… Who are you? Why are you here?" Cenden asked the girl.

"I should be asking you the same questions." Her face contorted into sadness for a moment, "You didn't know I was here, did you?"

"No. Was I supposed to?" Cenden asked.

"Why haven't you been listening? They told you to come here for a reason… Why haven't you been listening?"

"I'm sorry. I don't understand. Who are you? Why are you in this old temple?" Cenden now desperately sputtered as his confusion only continued to build.

Her freckles grew bright red. She opened her mouth for a moment to speak before closing it again her face deepening into anger. She shuffled from foot to foot, her breathing growing heavy with rage.

"My name is Vis Alacritas! And this is _MY TEMPLE._ You need to leave."

A shot rang out.

Vis dodged the blaster bolt before she sprinted towards her fallen saber.

Cenden turned to see Soron. His gun smoking as he supported himself against the wall, his face still seeming to spin with confusion.

He aimed his gun again.

"VAIT DON'T SHOOT!" Cenden shouted just as he turned to see the girl now holding her saber.

She twisted the hilt just as another shot rang out.

A blast of white light exploded from the saber.

"AAGGHH!" Cenden and Soron yelled as they shielded their faces, light searing the backs of their eyes.

Cenden and Soron opened their eyes after a moment, their vision swimming in dark clouds and bright flashes.

Before long, the world around them cleared.

The girl was gone.

Soron's eyes locked onto Cenden's. Clarity seeming to reappear in his mind.

"Who was that?" The captain asked slowly.

"I don't know. She seemed to think I should've known who she was." Cenden responded just as slowly as he tried to understand what had just happened.

A voice spoke, echoing about the temple's caverns.

" _Well I assumed you would considering the circumstances."_

The two jumped a little. Looking about in startled wonder, the voice seemed to come from every direction.

"What circumstances?" Soron finally asked back.

They heard a shaky breath sound around them before she spoke again.

" _Considering the circumstances… the circumstances that, I've been here for almost seven years with my guide and the only other people I've ever seen were temple robbers."_

The captain and the Jedi looked over at each other and nodded. Moving back to back, their eyes shifting about, waiting for another sound.

" _Why are you guys doing that?"_ The voice sniffed, was it crying?

"It's a defensive maneuver. You did just attack me a second ago." Cenden responded.

" _Hey, I was practicing that for weeks! My guide totally had it perfectly planned out. But of the last three paths the whole thing could've taken, I did not expect you to try and use them against me. That was not nice."_

"Who is your guide? Why did they want you to attack us?" Soron asked.

" _The Jedi should know that least half of the answers to that."_

Soron looked back at Cenden, the Jedi suddenly coming to a realization.

"Are… You're talking about the Force, right?" He asked as he began connecting with the living things around him.

Soron at his back. Moss and vines along the walls. Birds. Rodents.

He suddenly he felt a something like a hand reach out to touch him. He could see in his mind a smiling face, an excitement radiating from it that he hadn't experienced since he was very small.

" _Hi."_ The connection linked as her voice danced about the room.

Even Soron felt it as he and Cenden turned to look at a large crack opening into the temple's wall. Several just like it ran along the walls and ceiling of the building, but in this one, they could feel it; the girl was sat waiting in their.

It was incredible. As they walked towards the wall, Cenden could almost feel all the ties, the connections this girl had herself linked to. Down to even words on her tongue, steps she needed to take, paths available to her… What did they all lead to?

They approached the wall, a few outcroppings must have provided the child the means to scamper up the wall and into the nook. Cenden grabbed hold of one of the wall stones and began to hoist himself up to the crack in the wall. Reaching the space, he positioned his feet onto one of the larger stone and kept a secure grasp on the corner of the nook's opening before peering inside.

Sitting in the shadows was the girl in the same over sized trench coat and mismatched armor he had seen her in a few moments before, but somehow now, she looked like a completely different person. She looked much smaller and younger than the ghost of a temple guard he had been attacked by. This was just a child.

"Hi." Cenden spoke.

"Hello again." The girl smiled a bit under her saddened eyes, "Sorry I attacked you. The Force told me it was the best route to take."

"Was it right?"

"I'm sure of it."

"Who are you?" Cenden asked again.

"My name's Vis Alacritus. I knew you were coming to my home, but… What happened to you? You feel so icky inside. I imagined the Jedi feeling… different." Vis said, her face slowly beginning to lighten up as curiosity and a tinge of fear took over her face.

"Well the Jedi are long dead." Cenden replied.

"Look you need to start putting on a new personality if you are going to get what you came here for. Believe it or not, that corruption inside of you is contagious." Vis explained. Cenden actually felt the Force build up around her, like it was protecting her… from him.

From down below Soron spoke, "You know why we're here?"

Vis' eyes opened wide, Cenden could feel a twitch in the Force around her as she began to crawl forward towards the entrance of the crack.

Cenden began to back up and climb down the wall as her face popped out of the crack like an animal from its den.

"No way! You're the captain! You shot at me!" She said, suddenly elated as a smile locked on her face the entire time. "The Jedi and the captain. You totally called it my guide. I can't believe this is happening!"

Cenden jumped down to the ground and gave a look to the captain. Soron gave the same shrug back. She seemed so sad just a moment before, and a moment before that she was a silent fighting force.

"So you know who we are AND why we came here?" Soron asked in amazement.

"Weeellllll I mean, sort of. I could tell you, but first I kinda gotta make sure you guys are actually who I thought you are, 'cause I'm on the fence about the Jedi at the moment. So why are you here?" Vis squinted suspiciously, a smile still aimed on her lips.

Cenden sighed. Could she really sense the Force inside him as she was describing? Was it really that bad?

"My name is Cenden Sondron and this is Soron Mekusa. We came here looking for answers." Cenden responded up to the child.

"Three things." Vis spoke, "One, did you guys notice that your last name sounds a lot like his first name? Two, the answers you are looking for are here. Third, before you find the answers, are you sure you've asked the right questions?"

The two took in the questions, reviewing each of them in their minds.

Soron stepped forward, "I'm sure there's always more questions to ask. Such as, why does this place have the answers? We've been to other temples, why is this one different?"

"Maybe it's just that the Force is happy here?"

"Definitely an interesting theory." Cenden muttered sarcastically under his breath.

Cenden didn't know what to think or say. The Force here kept pushing at his mind, it kept telling him to speak or to remain quiet, but deep down, he still felt the urge to resist all the offerings of the Force. He had come so far in the past couple of weeks, rekindling a sort of mutual respect between him and the mystical energy, and now for him to come here in search of genuine answers only for this child to attack him and then call him diseased was not the welcoming he would've expected from the Force. No, actually he expected any kind of welcoming from the Force to have more bloodshed and death.

Cenden shook himself from his thoughts when he noticed the kid staring at him wide eyed.

"Cenden, I think I'm suppose to help and I want to help. Please don't feel so sad. The Force has told me a lot about you guys… I've felt how you have felt. And it's terrifying. I think you guys came here to find purpose, and the Force wants to help. You can trust me if I can trust you, so can I trust you to listen?"

Cenden and Soron felt a calm pass over them, steady and rippling like the pools of water flowing about the interior of the ruin temple. They became aware of the birds flitting about through the sunlight and the vines crawling lazily along the wall.

"I trust you." Soron spoke.

He looked at Cenden. Cenden rolled his eyes.

"I will do my best." Cenden answered.

Vis' smile stretched from ear to ear. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and muttered something to herself before she began her climb down the wall.

Soron and Cenden gasped as they watched her climb down the wall. As she climbed, veins of light began to be seen glowing in the crack and crumbles of the temple walls. Blue and green laced in with hints of yellow sparkling in the sunlight. She jumped the rest of the way down and light exploded from under her feet, stretching across the floors and even into pools of water and the ceilings.

The girl named Vis stood in front of them now, her freckles reflecting the shifting hues. She extended her hand to the captain and the Jedi.

"Welcome to me and the Force's home."

"Nice to meet you." Soron smiled back, reaching forward to shake the girl's hand.

Cenden didn't say a word, just smiled politely and shook her hand.

"And so a new chapter begins." Vis sighed before laughing a little.

"I guess so." Soron smiled back.

"I've been practicing that line forever! I can't believe I finally got to use it! It's been so long since I've met another person! Let alone multiple people!"

"Ya zhat's great and everything, but do you happen to know where the rest of our crew is?" Cenden asked.

Vis gasped.

"Whoops... almost forgot about them."


	10. Chapter 7: Three Hour Tour

Disclaimer: We ( draksisreborn and zazabelle) own nothing but our OCs. Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. Please review and enjoy this latest installment. So yeah...hello again. I know its been over a month, and we both deeply apologize for that. Between bouts of writer's block and very little time for writing it took a long time. But its here, so enjoy! We'll try to get the next chapter out sooner.

Rating: T

I… I couldn't even perceive to understand where to begin.

Words couldn't come out of my mouth, my face kept twitching from one emotion to another, I couldn't even pick where to start thinking.

My mind was full, and the paths just kept branching.

They were here, real other people. I couldn't tell if I wanted to laugh or cry or just start talking about all the thoughts I had never gotten the chance to share with other physical beings! The captain and the Jedi. An actual Jedi!

My stomach twisted a little.

A corrupted Jedi.

We fought. I ACTUALLY FOUGHT! Did I do alright? I followed the path as accurately as I could manage, but then the explosion he sent through the Force. That was something he wanted to occur, not the Force. It hurt to feel that. I remembered the times I had tried to manipulate the Force to do what I wanted, rather than the other way around. Man, I hope they didn't hear me crying.

And now here we were, walking through the forest towards my traps.

The light filtered through the trees, I could hear birds hopping on the wind from branch to branch, their songs rippling through all sounds. Streams bubbled through the ground and cascaded into pools or flowed on through the roots of trees. The air felt cool in the shading and warm in the sun shine. It was all connected.

My smile was stuck clean on my face, I think that's the best face to make right now. Behind me, Cenden and Soron crushed through the brush and leaves littering the ground. I could feel it, that everyone wanted to say something but they didn't know where to start.

' _Do they know what this means that they found me? Nothing can be the same for either of us. Just the fact that they know this place exists means a lot. What lead them here? Had they ever been to a temple before? They didn't know I was here, but they were looking for something through the Force right? What does me meeting them mean for me? ...What does it mean for my future? Which path am I supposed to take now?'_

All these thoughts kept buzzing through my head and more. I couldn't pick one to ask them, because I'm sure they didn't know either. Yet, at the same time, my mind just kept racing to try and pick one. Just one sound to make to form any words.

A large root rose up in front of me. Running towards the obstacle, I scale the root in one jump, laughing giddily as I did. As I landed I turned and watched the two take a far more calm approach to the root, taking a step up and then down.

My eyes met theirs.

I sighed as I looked at the ground.

"I honestly don't even know where to begin." I spoke, my voice mixing with the quiet sounds of the forest.

"I don't know either." Soron replied with a little smile.

"I have several questions as well." Cenden voiced. "How about we start at the beginning."

"My beginning or your beginning? I'm down for either one." I queried.

"How about start from when we landed here and our crew started disappearing, then lead me to the temple and then you attacking me." Cenden recalled.

"Sure! What do you want to know?" I inquired as we began our walk once again.

Cenden was quiet for a moment before speaking, "How did you do that? How did you make the Force do that?"

I stopped for a moment, puzzled.

"What do you mean? I didn't make the Force do anything."

"When we started walking here, I felt the Force was strong here, but then… I felt it attempting to connect with the minds of the others. They are not Force sensitive, it was hurting them."

My eyes glanced over to Soron, I noticed his facial expression shift for a moment.

"I didn't make the Force do that. The Force did that on its own. From what I understand, it's why this place has stayed hidden for so long. People, mostly bandits, come and go across the planet but they can never get here unless the Force wants them to. It sort of, attempts to connect with their minds or something, and brings back bad memories, things those people don't want to see. It drives them away. But you're the first person to ever come here that was connected to the Force and drawn here. So I don't make the Force do anything, I just set the traps to slow people down, and the Force drives them off!" I beamed, I had never gotten the chance to explain the Force like that to anyone in a long time.

"Wait what traps? Like that pitfall?" Soron asked.

"Ya!" I stopped abruptly under a shadow in the trees, "And traps like this one too!"

As I pointed above me, the two turned their gaze to the man swinging unconscious in the net trap high above them in the trees.

"Well… I guess that explains why we couldn't find Nek." Cenden muttered.

"He's fine by the way, just some sleeping dart poison. The instructions say it doesn't last long. Do you guys like it? My guide showed me how to make it with this holgram box in my library, although I couldn't get air compression down enough to make blow darts…"

"Its nice and all but can you get him down?" Soron asked.

Excitement bubbled up again. I jumped up and down a bit in place as I nodded eagerly.

' _Another crew member to meet! I wonder which one this is?'_ I thought as I ran to my climbing tree.

His "aura" or whatever it's called, felt so familiar in the same way Soron and Cenden's did. Like deja vu from a dream.

As I climbed, I got a closer look at the person in the net. Reddish skin clothed in a lot of stained leather pieces. I noticed horns or something sprouting from his head with a few cuts lining the ridges. He had an excellent taste in trench coats.

"Alright dude let's get you down from here." I mumbled to myself.

Leaning out from the branch I was clinging to, I grabbed onto one of the four ropes wrapped into the carabiner and pushed off the tree. As the net descended I gripped onto the rope as much as I could. I hoped my hands wouldn't slip from sweat and I wouldn't just go speeding to the ground, ultimately having the unconscious guy break my fall.

Luckily that did not occur and the two of us reached the ground with a click of the carabiner above.

Soron and Cenden came forward to untangle him from the net. All I could think to do was sort of stand off to the side and watch.

I had read stories in my library before, about people isolated for long periods of time, forced to use their surroundings and wit to survive. But once they were able to escape or found civilization again the first thing they always seemed to do was find their loved ones and envelope them in their arms or embrace the rescuer or something like that. I always cherished those stories and connect the situation to my own but I never imagined the whole "being rescued" part.

Living in the present is hard enough without thinking about the distant future. I never truly imagined leaving here, or running towards the finders of my little island and tearfully embracing them, but now just watching these three here in front of me… I just sort of wanted to poke them. I know I just got punched in the face by one of them but that didn't feel as real with all the adrenaline. It was the weirdest thing, but just to reach out for a moment just to make sure they were real. Just to make sure I wasn't imaging the whole thing… This really does change everything.

The captain's ears twitched as his head suddenly swiveled around, catching me as I quickly pulled my hand back away from his shoulder.

I smiled a little and took a step back. I noticed a glare of suspicion flicker across his face for a moment before he turned back and dragged the crew mate out from the netted entanglement.

I held my tongue before I said something like, ' _No it's fine you can trust me.'_ Because that doesn't sound suspicious at all.

"So… what's his name?" I asked as I stared down at the unconscious man lying on the forest floor.

"This is Nek. He's our engineer." Soron introduced as he waved over the body.

"I would be surprised that he got caught in such a primitive trap, but then again since I've known him, he's done nothing but get himself hurt." Cenden acknowledged.

"He does seem to be the universe's punching bag." Soron commented taking a step back as he crossed his arms.

I poked his elbow.

' _They are really here. This is real.'_

"What?" He asked.

"I… Um…"

I felt the Force gently pull me back. I reached for the brush to my right before pulling the branches away to reveal an unconscious warrior laying crumbled under some dead brush.

"Lerti." Soron said puzzled as he took several purposeful steps towards the grounded girl.

"Is she ok?" Cenden asked as we both turned to help her out of the trap.

"Ya I'm sure she's fine." I spoke with confidence as I leaned forward to investigate the trap to make sure that was true.

Looking closer I realized her foot had gotten caught in my shock-jaw clamp. The metal's jaws held firmly but not crushingly around the ankle, I hoped I could remember how to undo the clasp.

Before I could step forward to begin fiddling with the device, the captain stepped forward and simply pried the jaws apart as Cenden dragged her out.

"What did this thing do to her?" Cenden asked.

"So the clasp is just pressure activated and when you step on it, it kinda encloses around your foot and sets off a phaser shock and then…"

"You made all these yourself?" Soron interrupted.

"No. I mean, not really. My guide showed me where to find them or how to find information on how to make them and then I just sort of fixed them up? Does that count as making them?"

"Sure."

"Then yes!" I smiled. "What now?

Before anyone could answer, I felt a drop of water hit my nose.

I looked up as rain began to sprinkle down from the treetops. Rain storms? My guide's people getting here?

' _This is the best day of my life.'_ I whispered in my thoughts to my guide as I threw my arms to the air, taking a spin.

"Let's get them back to the temple before we get caught in a flash flood or somezing." The Jedi spoke over the now pounding petrichor.

We walked back through the water and mud, each man took one of the sleeping in their arms. They were moving at more of a trudge than a walk. The drops ran down my face as I focused on the paths.

' _Step here. Don't step there, there'll with be something under the mud, tree root on your left.'_ I looked up.

"Be careful when we get back to the temple. The steps will be slippery and there's a high chance one of you will slip." I warned.

"Thank you!" Soron yelled back as the wind picked up.

I smiled before I was pelted in the face by a flying stick.

"Ouch, sorry I'm focusing now."

We made it back to the temple completely slip free, the captain and the Jedi laid the two unconscious crew members carefully onto the floor.

"Think they'll be up soon?" I asked pacing over towards them.

"Depends I guess." Soron reported as he bent down to pull the helmet off the warrior woman… the Mandalorian I think she is called?

"I like her poofy red hair." I commented.

"I'll be sure to let her know." Soron smiled, "I'm guessing you have rooms here?"

"Ya! This building has a ton, but they're all 'up stairs' which means up that ladder." I pointed to the only metal rungs still clinging to the temple wall. "Oh! But I could go get some blankets and stuff! I'll be right back."

I took off for a sprint across the temple towards the ladder.

As a journeyed up the ladder and towards my current nest, I looked across the temple now. Rain poured through my skylight and ran in water falls down the walls and outcroppings as gray light drifted about through the nook and crannies of the broken palace. The kybercrystal veins of the temple had grown dormant since I left to find the others, I'd probably ask for those back on once it got really dark. Then walking into my room felt as if I melted into the shadows of another place and time, even though I had just been here this morning, and the morning before; the new people, the new ambiance, it all felt so new with them.

Grabbing a few blankets I had stored in my makeshift closet via the hole in the wall; I realized the little hole in the ceiling was leaking water right onto the sleeping pad I had found in this particular room… again.

"I really need to remember to move that thing." I noted out loud as I turned to leave the room.

I thought about maybe switching into a less soaked outfit, but I guess as long as the others had to suffer in sogginess I may as well join the party.

Returning back down to the lower levels, I handed them the blankets and they got to work wrapping up the others before sitting down on the stone flooring near them.

I just stood there, starring. Words again failed to describe what this was like. I began trying to piece it all together.

' _Ok, so, my guide. You sent them here to me. But they didn't know I was here. I was here to be found, or I was here to find information that they would eventually need. What information do they want? Do any of these events connect to any of the prophecies I've been studying my whole life? Are they to be trusted with what I've found? Will it even matter to them? You should say something. Think of a topic Vis. There's too many. My guide? Any suggestions?'_

I ended up just sitting down on the ground from where I stood.

I reached out to them through the Force, connecting myself with their own energies, just to feel. Just to get a sense of what they were thinking about.

Soron's feelings felt like they were descending into a torrent of thoughts and questions, he would probably think of something to say before I did, which didn't bother me at all. Cenden's thoughts hovered about, they felt like the vines of the wall of the temple, he too sat pausing at his words as each option for words ran out from one to another.

He suddenly shivered, the Force rippled around him, and he shot me a glance. Reaching into his pocket I felt panic for a second before he raised a simple intercom to his lips.

"Chol? You there?" Cenden radioed.

"I'm here. Enjoying the rain?" A gruff sarcastic voice came through the comm.

"Who's that?" I inquired above the rain drumming.

"Who was that?" I heard the someone copycat over the comm but with more confusion than my own.

"Long story, you and BX should meet us here. Just track our coordinates and bring the ship to a stall over the temple."

My heart skipped a beat.

"A ship… Over the temple?" I whispered. Thunder cracked above. I jumped a little.

"Is zhat a problem?" Cenden challenged.

"...Noooope. That's fine. That's ok."

I wanted to cut off the connection, I didn't want them to know I was afraid… I mean it wasn't like I was getting in the ship. It wasn't the ship's fault, but it was like I watched my fear run along the wires. He could feel it.

But Soron was the one to speak.

"Vis, was it?"

I nodded.

"How did you end up here? Where's your family?"

' _Ohhhhh dear. Am I ok to explain without getting upset again?'_

I felt the Force gather memories about me, holding me up.

"Uuuuuhhhhhh. Well… about like 5 or 6 years ago when I was 7… Wow has it been that long? Um," I took a breath to make sure it wasn't shaky. "The ship my family and I lived on… crashed here. I was the only one to escape. I knew it was going to happen and I um… I couldn't stop it. But the Force lead me here, and it's been ok. I've been ok because I've been here ever since studying the hologram boxes and learning about the Force! Which, by the way, doesn't seem like a name to me but whatever…" I cut myself off from continuing to babble as a frog formed in my throat and I noticed Cenden and Soron give each other this weird look.

"What?" I asked.

"Your vision." Soron marveled at Cenden.

"A vision? What vision?" I stepped closer. Visions were top priority in terms of interesting.

"When I was lead here, I had a vision that we would crash onto this moon in a fiery explosion. Only one of us would live. It was you. I did know you were here." Cenden explained.

My mouth drooped open a little before I wiped my nose and laughed.

"This so cool. Just that… you guys are here. And there's visions. And my guide brought you here… and just-"

I was suddenly cut off as a huge shadow cascaded over the skylight. I turned around and gasped as I saw a large ship hurtling right towards the temple.

It was going to crash right into us.

' _I'm going to die.'_ I thought as I shakily tried to reverse, watching my doom draw closer.

I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I jumped and turned around.

Soron held onto me, he pointed at the falling death machine, and I quickly turned to see the ship over the temple wasn't falling. Just hovering.

I still stood stiff kneed watching it cover the hole of the temple like a giant umbrella.

"Does that ladder lead up to the roof?" Soron asked.

"Ya." I nodded.

"You don't have to come up there. Wait here and I'll bring the rest of my family down here to meet you, ok?"

I nodded again as I released the breath I didn't realize I was holding.

I watched the captain as he jogged across the expanse of room, leaving me with the Jedi, the engineer, and the warrior.

Turning to look at them, I caught Cenden's eye before he quickly glanced away.

"Are you going to be my Jedi Master?" I asked nonchalantly.

He gave me a startled look before it turned into a sort of scowl.

"I have no intention of teaching anyone anything."

"Alllrriigghhhttt." I sang as I smiled a bit.

' _Should I try for lovable but annoying? Or serious and cunning? Oh! Maybe like a sarcastic sort of joker vibe? There's too many characters here already, I'm not sure which one to be. I guess I'll just stick with adaptable and leave it at that.'_ I reasoned as I thought back to all my story books and history complations before I decided to shamble over to the engineer's sleeping spot.

Kneeling down, I waved my hand over his face, my eyes closed and thoughts open.

His dreams felt calm, matching the steady pace of his breathing. I liked the look of the rain drop shadows falling across his red face and horns, it looked like a neat thing that could be drawn. Then I couldn't resist.

I poked his face.

Nothing happened at first, but then I felt his consciousness stirring. He twitched a bit.

I shot off the ground and backed as far away as I could as the man called Nek began to shift about in the blanket.

Cenden kneeled down to his side with a few joint pops, probably due to the change in the weather… Focus Vis, new person.

I heard the click of a blaster behind me. I swiveled about to face the sound only to see the woman called Lerti propped up on one elbow, her blaster aimed at me.

"Whoa! Hey!" I put my hands up as I backed away from the barely conscious warrior with a gun.

"Lerti! Stop! It's ok!" Cenden barked as he stood between us.

"Whass goin on?" Nek mumbled as he clutched at his head while attempting to sit up.

"This really is the best day ever." I laughed as Cenden moves aside and Lerti lowered the blaster. It felt like the beginning of a real adventure. I watched as Cenden helped the two to get seated up, the Mandalorian kept giving me this weird look while the guy with the horns just kept eyeing me with curiosity.

"Alright, several questions, where are we, what happened, and who is that?" Lerti's questions seem to come over more as commands.

' _That's my queue! Go for mysterious again.'_

"My name's-" I was cut off by the sound of clanking metal on the rungs of the ladder. I looked over and gasped.

"A real droid! No way!" Turning I sprinted towards the ladder where Soron, a fishy guy who must've been Chol, and a real life battle droid came climbing down!

I stopped halfway as Soron reached the ground. I looked back as Cenden, and Nek, and Lerti came walking towards them, all of us kind of convening at the center of the temple's main foyer.

The pilot, the engineer, the warrior, the droid, the captain, and the Jedi. All of them were here right in front of me. ' _My guide, THIS IS INCREDIBLE! It was exactly what you told me was going to happen! I mean that's no surprise but I never expected this! How should I introduce myself?'_ There was no playing it cool with this, this was the time to get excited.

I bounced a little in place, "My name is Vis Alacritus, I'm about 12 and a half years old, and welcome to me and my guide's home!"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Soron heard the girl's shouts of delight and couldn't help but chuckle. She was so much like Ava back in the day. He dropped down from the ladder and, seeing Vis practically zipping around BX, gave a small cough. Her head snapped up at him, freckles shifting from green to orange.

"Vis, this is Cholmon, our pilot, and BX-19. But you can call him BX for short." Soron said.

"Pleased to meet you." BX said politely.

Cholmon gave a gruff, "Hello."

"This is so cool! I've always wanted to see a real life battle droid!" Vis almost squeals in delight. "I want to know everything about you. The battles you've been in, the adventures you've had, everything!" She beamed.

"Certainly." BX practically purred, unused to the positive attention.

"I hate to interrupt," Cenden chimed in, "but would you mind showing us around your...home?" He finished, pausing with a hint of aversion at the last word.

Soron shot him a look. He would have to discuss the Jedi's attitude with him later.

"Of course! Sorry I got carried away, this is just all so amazing!" Vis said before skipping off, waving her hand for the others to follow. Lerti and Nek exchange glances before groggily getting up, BX and Cholmon supporting Lerti and Nek respectively. Cenden fell in behind them.

The ancient walls rose hundreds of feet above them, meeting the remnants of the roof and the large hole in the center. Rain poured through around the ship, shining as it hit the small garden of wild vegetation below, bringing bright new color to the plants. Vines thicker than his chest snaked along the columns and walls, filling in the gaps and grasping at the loose stone.

"It's beautiful." Lerti said.

"I'm glad you think that." Vis called. "This is the foyer for my guide's home and my 'skylight.' Not much here, but it's the center of my guide's home and connects to everything else." She beamed. Soron smiled back, her happiness was proving to be infectious.

"Up above there is just a ton of bedrooms and through that tunnel on the right are the remains of training rooms. But we're going to the real cool place." Vis said as she went off through one of the hallways, the rest of the crew following slowly, admiring the sheer size and age of the temple.

"How old do you think this place is?" Soron whispered to Cenden, who had caught up to him.

"Not sure. Given the size and amount of plant life it could be several thousand, maybe even dating back to the Great Galactic War." He replied, scratching his chin.

"And what about her? She's Force-sensitive right?" Soron inquired, motioning to the girl.

Just as he did, Vis' hand brushed along the moss ridden wall and the same glowing veins began to grow and extend along the wall, glowing this time in a strange electric yellow light.

"Whoooaaaa!" Nek breathed as he stopped along the wall, "How are you doing that?"

Vis laughed as she noticed the engineer attempting to activate the same reaction.

"Well from what I've recorded from the hologram boxes, this temple is laced with kybercrystal and sort of 'responds' to anyone with insight in the Force. Like, the Force works on the same frequency as the crystal, so me touching it is like hitting the tuning fork. I think my guide only uses our frequency for power in the temple like lights and stuff, but I know different types of 'frequencies' would make the kyber do something different." Vis explained.

She stood for a moment, looking off into space, like she was listening to something, before blinking out of it.

"Come on! This way!" She turned and ran down the hall, the veins following close behind.

They followed her through several more corridors before reaching a pair of massive doors rusted ajar. A gasp went through the group they saw what lay beyond.

"And this," Vis said, her arms held out in an attempt at grandeur, "is my favorite place, the library."

Row upon row of shelves and cases were crammed into the massive room, seeming to stretch on forever. Some held ancient data terminals that had stop functioning long ago, while others held row upon row of holocrons with a wide range of styles. Some were regal and ornate, others battered and beaten, some so simplistic they could be mistaken for paperweights.

The crew gazed above in wonder. They had been on the hunt for just one of these things for weeks, and here they were. Holocrons stacked and placed in every nook and cranny. Soron noticed BX immediately make a bee-line for one of the shelves and began rearranging the holocron's positions as Lerti attempted to make him knock it off. Nek picked one up and just sort of stared at it. What intrigued Soron though, were the scrolls stuffed in every space available. He reached out to grab one, gently holding the parchment that threatened to disintegrate in his hands. He slowly unrolled it a little, and although he was unable to read the strange script, he admired the flowing handwriting and designs adorning what he assumed to be letters.

"How many of these are there?" Soron asked, replacing the scroll.

"Honestly I have no idea." Vis said a bit sheepishly. "I think I've been through all the holoboxes and a few of the triangles at least once, but there's so many scrolls here I doubt we could get through all of them in our lifetimes. Plus most of them would probably crumble before you could tell what they said."

"There's so much here." Cenden said breathlessly, eyes darting around constantly. "So much knowledge. Most of the Jedi's history must be here."

Vis smiled.

"There's that. And so much more."

 _ **SCREEEEEEEEEEEE.**_

Any further conversation was cut off by an immense shrieking sound that seemed to echo about the library's walls.

Vis' body went ridged, eyes going wide and freckles changing to an fierce bright blue.

"What is that!?" Chol yelled above the noise.

Soron saw the vines begin to pulse at an increased rate, the blue energy appearing to lead to a single place. Rounding the corner he followed the vine closest to him, Cenden not far behind.

Soron soon found the convergence point. It was a hole in the wall, seemingly pried apart by the plant life, yet the dust was still settling as if it were just created. A cavernous tunnel stretched down into the darkness, a strange feeling beginning to tug at the edges of his mind.

"What is that?" BX asked as the rest of the group made it around the corner.

"No no no no." Vis began to mutter as she saw it, eyes still wide with what looked like...fear.

Cenden's jaw dropped as he saw it.

"Vis, what is it?" Soron asked.

Vis' wide eyes turned to him.

"The one place we can't go."


	11. AN: Update

A/N:

So yeah, this isn't a true update. We both apologize profusely for the many delays and lack of updates. We've both been slammed with life stuff and with the holidays it only got more crazy. However, I am glad to say that we will soon be done with Chapter 8. This entry will be deleted when that chapter goes up.

Happy holidays to all our amazing readers!


	12. Chapter 8: Trials

Disclaimer: We ( zazabelle and draksisreborn) own nothing but our OCs. Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. So yeah, so much for "very soon" lol. Thus chapter took quite a while longer than expected (as you can see with the 9500 word count), but its here and that's all that matters. Please review and enjoy this latest installment.

Rating: T

Cenden was stunned. The girl next to him remained speechless as well.

The open door seemed to swirl in darkness, a void of all light.

' _How? Neither of us reached out to form this. The doors just opened?'_

"Cenden? Cenden?!" Soron barked, snapping the Jedi out of his daze, turning his attention from the frozen girl to his captain.

"What the hell is this?" Soron asked.

Cenden sighed, running his hand along the back of his neck.

"It's… it's a passageway deeper into the temple. But it's also where Jedi go for some of their trials."

"Trials?" BX questioned.

"The trials for ze final tests to become a Jedi knight. In all honezty, you basically go into these really dark tunnels, and the Force messes with your mind causing you to see your greatest fears or desire, you must pass through these trials alone and survive your fear in order to prove yourself worthy of ze position of Jedi." Cenden explained before turning to Vis. "Did you go in zhere? Did you pass the trials?"

The girl's freckles snapped into a sudden shock of bright blue.

"No! I mean yes, but not like 'officially'. They opened the door a few weeks before you guys got here… I… I thought I had already faced my greatest fear a long time ago, and I knew what the door was so I thought… I'd just stick my head inside the tunnel for a while to see what happened?" she laughed nervously as she crumpled in on herself a bit.

"...Vhat?" Cenden mumbled.

"Why would you do that?" Nek questioned, stepping in.

"I don't know! Think of it from my position! The Force opened the door for me, but I'm all alone here in this giant temple, no one has ever known I was here, I'd have to face this 'great danger' down there by myself too where I could just DIE with no Jedi master to be worried or concerned for me, and my guide unable to help me! Wouldn't you be a little hesitant to totally immerse yourself in some, not only creepy, but really broken tunnel trials where you know you're going to possibly die?"

Nek shrugged, "Ya she's got a point."

"You can die in there?" the crew could hear Lerti mumble to herself.

"Well it opened for a reason." Cenden pointed out.

"You got that right." Vis huffed, crossing her arms in discomfort.

A few of the crew members gave her a puzzled look.

"Did you, see anything when you stuck your head in the tunnels?" Soron inquired.

Vis looked uncomfortable as her freckles faded into a dark maroon, her face twisting into what could've been described as sickly fear.

"I didn't see anything." She sighed, "It was what I felt was what scared me."

She paced closer to the door's opening.

"I know you haven't known me for very long, but I didn't expect this door to open again because this was how I got to know you guys before you even got here… When I stuck my head inside the tunnel, it was the first time in my life I couldn't feel my guide. It was so quiet, so deathly quiet, and I had never been so alone in that one moment. I ran away from the door and later on my guide explained to me that these were the feelings and fears not only of myself, but of these people coming to the temple. The pilot, the engineer, the warrior, the strategist, the captain, and the temple guard. So it can't be that I need to take the trials, I haven't even gotten to have the whole 'student-mentor-bonding-thing' much less ready to become a Jedi. My guide wants me to go in but…"

Soron stepped up next to the girl.

"But Cenden's right, it sounds like the Force wouldn't just open this for no reason."

"Nothing is without reason." Vis mumbled almost to herself as if she was quoting something.

Lerti laughed suddenly breaking the solemn mood, "This is insane."

"I know right!? It feels like a real adventure doesn't it!?" Vis responded back. "I have to go in there! I have to prove myself."

"Prove yourself to who?" Soron asked.

She thought for a moment.

"I have to prove myself to myself. That I'll follow my guide where ever they take me. No matter what."

"Wait! Shush!" Cenden suddenly burst out.

Everyone fell silent.

"Do you hear that?"

They listened; the twittering of birds, the hum of wind on the slick and cool rocks of the temple, the rain just barely sprinkling down. Vis' face looked far off, as if she was straining her mind to pick up the sound Cenden could hear so clearly.

It was like a singing he couldn't describe. A voice saying a million words at once. It was cold and alluring. It was coming deep from the throat of the from the tunnels.

"You've got to be kidding me." He mumbled as he walked slowly over towards the mouth of the door.

Vis shivered and looked at the captain and the Jedi standing with her, staring into the darkness, then back at the darkness and the ends of her mouth twitched.

"We're going in there together aren't we?" Cenden hesitated.

Vis leaned past Soron to look at Cenden and shook her head, her hand slowly raising to point at Soron.

"He's coming too."

"What!?" Soron took a step away from the temple door.

"Ya. The Force says you, me, and the Jedi. I mean it's pulling the three of us anyway."

"You have GOT to be kidding me!" Cenden repeated.

"Ok, wait let's just all step back and talk about this for a second because everything is moving very fast." Soron commanded turning to the rest of the whole crew, before snapping and pointing at Vis. "Ok, you. You're going to sit down for a second and explain what's going on, why we're here, and why you're here. You…" he barked now pointing at Cenden, "You are going to translate if that one starts not making sense." he again pointed at Vis, "And the rest of you are going to pay close attention to everything they say. Got it?"

"Got it!" Everyone responded back.

"Ok good. Now, explain." Soron urged before before backing up and leaning against the wall.

Vis gasped.

"Oh my gosh! I'll go get my journals! Wait here I'll be right back!" she squealed, zipping past the crew before anyone could protest.

The crew waited a few minutes for the small girl to return from where ever she had run off to. Lerti scanned about, thinking more intently on a history she never knew existed. Nek shuffled closer to the shelves of holocrons, examining the glowing boxes yet not quite daring to reach out and touch one. Cholmon, who had for the most part just been watching and observing, found a spot to sit down. BX had resumed sorting the holocrons, but keeping his eyes on the temple tunnels. All the while Cenden and Soron talked quietly.

"...The girl was right though. She wasn't ready to go into the trials room. The Force is strong with her, but she hasn't received any of the necessary training for the Force to believe her ready to become a Jedi." Cenden contemplated.

"Then why open it? And if we were suppose to go in with her, why open before we got here? Why do we even need to go in there? Why do I need to go in there?"

"Soron… I honestly don't know what's going on. That girl acted like we were suppose to know a lot more than we do… And the way she talks about the Force. It's like she's talking to a person."

"Yes, she seems quite prepared for us, so what are we expected to do?"

Just then, a voice erupted from further down the halls.

"HEY GUYS! OVER HERE!" Vis shouted from down the rows of shelves.

At the end of the shelves you could see a small figure hopping up and down excitedly waving her arms through the air.

"COME ON! WE'VE GOT STUFF TO SHOW YOU!" she yelled before turning and sprinting down one of the shelf halls.

The crew looked around, not quite knowing how to respond other than a shrug and a turn to follow. As the group walked cautiously down the hallways of holocrons they could hear childish laughter and the patter of footsteps echoing in every direction, it was hard to tell where it was all coming from.

In a galaxy full of oppression and despair, how does one act around someone so free of all that strife? Someone so free of all of that pain? Do they know how lucky they are? Or is it pure ignorance that keeps them happy?

This was the summary of the crew's thoughts as they walked towards where they'd last seen the child disappear.

"Oh! I almost forgot this one!" Vis' voice suddenly appeared next to them as they turned to see her swiftly grabbed one of the holocrons off the shelves.

Her arms were filled to the brim with scrolls, books, and holocrons of every shape and size. Her face was alight with pure excitement, her freckles shifting out of neons of green, and yellow, and orange.

"Come on! This way!" She elated as she powered through the group, running towards the center of the library.

As they followed, the library quickly opened up into what looked to be a large seating area. Ancient tables were almost indistinguishable from the piles of rubble and debris lying about the center of the library. Many piles looked as if they'd been pushed and shifted over, but none of them cleaned up. Over in one corner, Nek spotted a pile of blankets and makeshift pillows stacked up into what looked to be a reading nook. In the center of the reading area stood a console of some kind, it's octagonal shape seemed to have nothing more about it than a slightly cracked old screen and a few ports running along the edges.

Vis squated near the console, carefully placing down the selection of holocrons and books she'd collected on the floor before spinning to turn towards her audience.

"Ahem." She cleared her throat, looking to make sure her guests were in attention, "For the past five years, I, Vis Alacritas, have lived in this temple and have been working closely alongside the Force to record, decipher, and understand prophecies yet to occur in our time through the teaching of the holocrons, books, and scrolls left here." she paused for dramatic effect, "Now that I have this information, I've basically been waiting for something to happen. I've learned a lot, I have way more to go, but I believe the Force brought you all here to help with this mission."

"What is the mission exactly?" Nek stepped in.

Vis smiled, crossing her hands behind her back.

"To help the Force carry out its purpose of course. Ya know, warn people of impending doom, saving the galaxy, all that good stuff."

The crew was silent for a moment.

Vis' smile swiftly swept from confident to uncomfortable.

"I mean! We wouldn't probably be _directly responsible_ for the whole 'saving the galaxy' thing. But ever since I've been here, my guide's been showing me history and prophecies given to Jedi, Sith, and just Force sensitives in general. I'm pretty sure most of the writers of these things didn't know what they were writing about, they were just given instruction and followed it. I mean…" She picked up one of the holocrons, "This one is mostly filled to the brim with proverbs and stuff, but when applied to the context in that book," she pointed at another one of her picks, "The meaning completely changes. The Force picked out these particular books, and not all of the info in them is from the Force I've noticed. But the stuff they did write that was from them seems to all sort of connect into a weird series of warnings and signs to watch out for, important events that have happened and will occur and stuff. But they all seem to be leading up to something big."

Everyone remained silent, taking in Vis' words.

Suddenly, Cholmon chimed in, chuckling a bit.

"Well Soron, you said you wanted answers to the meaning of life and all that crap. Looks like the Force answered you." By the end of his sentence he was actually laughing.

"Why are you laughing?" Vis chuckled along nervously.

"Because! I never thought in my entire _life_ that Soron's crazy vague mission would actually amount to something! I mean, seriously! He lured that Jedi onto our crew, convinced him to help us find a holocron, followed a star map to this random moon, and now! Here we are! Soron you crazy son-of-a-nerf herder." Chol continued laughing out of pure joy, wiping a tear from his face.

Soron smiled, the crazy realization spreading across his face before in moments he was laughing along with Chol.

Vis' face lit up at their joy, "You did it! WOO!"

Vis began jumping about. Soron and Chol, still laughing, cheered her on. Nek and Lerti joined in with their shouts, like a war cry finding new vigor. Like warriors filled with a new reason to fight. To those of them who could sense it, the Force pulsed about the crew members, a strange joy could also be felt in it. It was probably one of the underlying reasons for the crew's joy, and those who could feel it could felt it.

Finally. Someone to listen, someone to act on the Force's behalf. No light side, no dark side, just the Force and all that was to come. They've taken a step, now what?

The laughter died down and Vis collapsed in a smiley pile on the floor, clutching at one of the journals she had brought in her piles of holocrons and scrolls.

"I can't believe this is really happening." Vis breathed from down on the ground.

The sound of a metallic cough suddenly caught the crew's attention. They turned to see BX standing at the back of the group, pointing over his shoulder.

"I don't mean to interrupt your joy, but it seems the Jedi has wandered off."

Everyone leaned in a bit to catch a glimpse of Cenden disappearing behind one of the bookshelves…

They stared in silence with a shrug before Vis suddenly gasped and shot off the floor, sprinting towards where Cenden had turned the corner as she screamed, "SHOOT WHERE'D I LEAVE MY LIGHTSABER!?"

The remaining crew gave each other a look before the realization came over them as well and they all took off in the same direction.

Cenden was walking off in the direction of the trials room.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I ran at full speed, the Force had branched off while I wasn't paying attention. Something was happening, Cenden was going into the tunnels now and there'd be no use trying to stop him. The path was clear and strong.

I reached out my hand along one of the shelves as I ran before I realized that's where I'd left my lightsaber. Gripping the cold metal as it slid into my hand, I could hear the sound of the others not far behind.

I tried to steady my breathing as I ran, fear began to consume me as I sensed futures falling steadily into place. Sensing Cenden in my mind, it felt like the Force had consumed him. He knew that he was walking and, where, and why, but he wanted to go. Whatever was calling him, he was choosing to follow this path.

' _I guess that's a good thing?'_ I told myself as the sound of a crash erupted behind me.

I winced at the shouts of anger that followed.

' _Robot. Warrior. Engineer. All just fell. Unlikely that was an accident. And Chol doesn't look particularly fast. Soron's not going to stop, he'll catch up with me in a moment. No hesitation. You can do this.'_

I rounded the corner as I watched Cenden cross over into the dark nothingness of the tunnels.

I heard Soron's running steps now close behind mine.

' _Here we go.'_

"CENDEN WAIT!" Soron yelled.

At the same moment Soron and I jumped in after him as the doors began to slide shut.

I squeezed my eyes shut, I whispered into the darkness, "Please don't leave me."

The doors shut. It was dark and I felt like the tendrils of the paths snapped in the mouth of the sealed door. I was alone.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Cenden blinked in a strange sudden realization of where he was as Soron pulled at his shoulder.

"Cenden, what in the world!?" Soron bellowed in the darkness.

Cenden shook his head, taking a step away from Soron's grip. Fear began to steadily overtake him, his mind, his heart, every part of him, coming to conclusions of where he was and what he'd just done. When he'd been standing there listening to the girl, he could sense the Force was with her words. The more she spoke the more he could feel a thread attached to the words she spoke. It started pulling at him, he knew where he needed to go next, and why he needed to be in here, his feelings clear… But now the thread was faint in the dark, he couldn't quite tell where it branched off to. He remembered the feeling of this sort of place though it had been so very long ago, and now here he was again.

A pit further dropped in his stomach as his surroundings became more apparent. Soron was here.

' _A non-force sensitive standing in the middle one of the most dangerous Jedi trials to be faced. If the part of the trial was to show you your greatest fear and use your feel will to overcome this without the Forces help…'_

"Soron where's Vis?"

The two went quiet, at the edge of Soron's range of hearing he could just barely hear panicked breaths echoing at the edges of the tunnel.

Cenden's lightsaber half blazed to life, filling the tunnel with a brilliant yellow glow. Soron and Cenden turned towards the sealed door to see Vis, back turned to the two. Her breathing looked unsteady as she was visibly trying to calm herself. The girl's fingers twitched on her hands and her freckles had turned to a purple so dark it was nearly black, but a few spots still buzzed with a bright blue hue.

She turned around slowly to face them.

"S-see?" she stuttered her eyes wide in their sockets, "The three of us are in the tunnels now. Together. Just like the Force said."

The captain and the Jedi looked at each.

"What do we do now?" Soron asked.

Cenden turned towards the tunnels, raising his lightsaber above his head to see further along. The ancient halls were… broken, to say the least. Whatever had caused the collapse of the building hand caused the even further collapse of everything underground it seemed. The cave-like stone walls were buried and smashed by what looked to be walls and floors from the rooms and buildings above, some of the branching hallways looked impossibly sealed off and it was even hard to tell where the original floor was lay the debris. Even the air hung musty and heavy with mildew in the shadows.

"This isn't right." Cenden muttering as he lowered his lightsaber, "This isn't a trial room, these are ruins behind a sealed door," he glanced at Soron, "We need to get out of here."

Cenden turned and walked towards the door that had sealed behind them.

"What are you doing?" Vis' voice on the verge of defiance.

"I'm getting us out of here, I don't know what I was thinking but this is a mistake." Cenden aimed the blade of his lightsaber at the door.

"Hey! Wait!" Soron commanded as Cenden's saber shot at the metal.

 _SSHHOOOM._

The three lept back in surprise as sparks exploded off the door, the saber bouncing off the metal in a bright flash. The trio was left staring at a large burn mark that had cut across the metal door.

"Whhhhoooaaaa what!?" Vis rushed to the burn mark, observing its smoking figure, "The saber should've slid right through the metal… Whatever the material of this metal is, it must be kyber crystal resistant."

She reached out her hand for a moment before quickly drawing it away from the heat before it made contact, instead suddenly pulling something out of her pocket. The sparking-green glow of her damaged lightsaber suddenly sprang to life as Vis began to take a huge swing at the door.

"Whoa whoa whoa. Nope." Cenden commanded as the switch on Vis' lightsaber suddenly switched off and she nearly tumbled over swinging through empty air, "Not doing zhat."

Vis yelled in protest as Cenden pulled the lightsaber out of her hands.

"I guess that means we'll have to find another way out of here. Let's move." Soron instructed with a wave. Pulling his blaster off his back he turned the light on and started down the tunnels.

Vis looked from Cenden to Soron before shrugging and running after him. Cenden watched the two walk down the tunnel for a moment, glancing back at the burn mark left on the sealed door behind them. Clutching at his lightsaber, he took a breath and started down the only path left. The only path the Force had made for them to follow, stuck without any other option…

' _Just love pushing us around down you?'_ Cenden thought to himself as the clouded feeling of the tunnel began to dampen at reality.

From here, you could hardly trust yourself, let alone two other people. One of those people being heavily armed and virtually no way to disarm him, peacefully that is. And who knew what the girl was capable of.

He caught up to them in a few well placed steps. The sound of water droplets echoed around the caverns, resonating off what looked to be broken casings of the "veins" Vis had caused to glow in the temple above. Working their way down one of the piles of rubble, they came to what seemed to be the first hallway of the trials room, a good 10 feet below where the original hallway had lay. In front of them stood…

"Three doorways." Vis' voice suddenly reverberated down each one.

"Think we're each suppose to go down one? Because this one," Soron shown the light on the third doorway piled under debris, "Looks pretty blocked to me."

"We're not _supposed_ to do anything. We _need_ to get out of here and fast." Cenden argued, walking up to one of the doorways. "We'll just pick one and go."

"Wait. Can you still hear that sound? The _singing_ or whatever?" Vis asked.

"How'd you know it was sing-…?"

"Lucky guess."

Cenden sighed, "It's… coming from the middle door I think."

"You think?"

"I _know_."

"Perfect! Then we'll go down that one!" Vis started down the hall before Cenden stuck his arm out to block her path.

"The deeper we go into the temple, the more this place is going to mess with our heads. Seeing what happened to the crew in the forest is enough to convince me that whatever happened to Soron and the crew before will probably happen again. And I'm not one for following what the Force tell me to do anymore if I want to live."

Vis blinked a few times, "...Did you ever follow it before?"

"FOR THE LOVE OF-!" Cenden yelled with fury, taking a step towards Vis.

Then, he froze.

They all did.

"...Oh no." Vis whispered.

She could hear it, a whispering of emptiness in her head leaking out of her ears. Cenden felt the panic, the fear pooling slowly into his mind, drip by drip. Soron… Couldn't… Move.

In the fog pouring out of their minds, shapes began to take form. No matter how they blinked or squeezed their eyes shut, the images remained in front of them. Ghosts of the past bounding towards them without a care in the world.

" _NO._ We are _NOT_ doing zhis now!" Cenden's lightsaber erupted into the darkness.

" _rrrrRRRRRHHHHH."_

Growling vibrated around the cavern.

Cenden and Soron tried to break from the spell, flashing their lights down the tunnels open. Vis sucked in a scream. Down the middle tunnel, shadows with fangs stood waist high on two legs, in a pack crowded and hungry ready to advance. Their eyes reflected the light off in an eerie red gleam.

"Can I have my lightsaber back now?" Vis spoke.

The creatures howled and began a frenzied run down the tunnel.

"CAN YOU GUYS SEE THESE THINGS TOO!?" Soron yelled above the firing of his blaster.

The creatures made their way out of the tunnel, one leaping without warning at Cenden. His saber burst through the side of it.

"THESE AREN'T THE NIGHTMARES." Cenden tossed the body aside, "These are real."

Through the cloud on his mind, Cenden pulled at the Force. Vis' lightsaber flew from his holster straight at the girl.

A thump was heard in the cacophony of blaster fire, " _OW!_ Sorry, was supposed to catch that right?!"

The green-sparks flew into the fog. Cenden watched in horror as Vis sliced through the air at the creatures as if she was a primitive poking at the danger with a fiery torch. And still out of the corner of every eye, the figures of fear in the fog still stood, waiting to talk. Nightmares observing the massacre.

"How are we supposed to tell what's real and WHAT'S NOT!?" Soron's blaster fired again.

"IF IT'S ATTACKING YOU IT'S PROBABLY REAL!" Vis called from across the cavern with a yelled, "AW MAN. I think I just blinded one of these things! I'm sorry _!_ "

"Don't apologize to it!" Cenden called back as he sliced through two more creatures.

"Sorry!"

"Why are you apologizing to _ME_ now _!?_ "

"Both of you, shut it!" Soron yelled as he shot another of the beasts with his rifle. "We need to move or we'll be overrun!"

Amidst the fight, dust began to tumble splits in the cave walls.

"Well what would you suggest?" Cenden yelled, stabbing another creature before shoving its body back. "We don't exactly have any options!"

No sooner had Cenden spoke than the cave floor began to crack and splinter underneath Vis. Her eyes flew to Cenden as she tensed to jump before the ground gave way.

" _VIS!"_ Soron yelled as he dived to catch her, "NO!"

His hand missed her's by inches and she disappeared into the black abyss.

Cenden pulled at the Force like claws attempting desperately to grip and snag any piece of her he could manage but the fog pushed him away from her.

The ground cracked away even further.

"Soron! Get away from the edge!" Cenden called as more of the floor collapsed, taking some of the creatures with it. Soron began to stand but then fell to one knee, his breathing becoming quick and panicked.

"Not again." He spat, hands gripping his head. "Get out of my head!" He howled.

"Soron, it's just the Force messing with you. You can fight it out." Cenden said.

A snarl caught Cenden off guard, twisting his blade through the air a second before one of the creatures nearly lunged past him as it charged towards the captain. Soron, now barely conscious gripped at his head, his eyes squeezed shut. Cenden threw his saber out, bisecting the creature before turning back to Soron. Cenden knelt by the captain, placing a hand on his back as they both stared at the endless void the young girl had disappeared into.

The cave shook. Cenden looked around them, the cave seemed to only be further destabilizing, even the creatures had fled back to wherever they came from.

They needed to get to cover now. The entrances? The hole in the ground? We don't know if Vis survived the fall let alone each of them…

Soron let out what sounded like a choked cry.

"Hey are you-" His sentence was cut off as Soron swung his arm around, knocking Cenden off his feet and back several feet. "What the-!"

"Get away from me you monster!" Soron howled, eyes filled with fury as he lunged towards the Jedi, claws extended.

Cenden quickly ducked beneath the wild swipe before pushing the Shistavanen away. Soron tumbled through the first doorway, out of sight of the Jedi.

The Jedi nearly fell to the ground as the ground beneath him convulsed. Boulders about the first doorway tumbled as Cenden threw himself backwards only to see above the gap in the floor, the rubble making up the ceiling had began their decent as well. He rolled. The ceiling crashed.

"Sithspit!" Cenden cursed before coughing violently to clear the dust from his lungs.

Cenden stood cautiously from the ground as the vapor of the debris cleared. To his left, the first doorway was completely blocked under the piles of rock that had previously been so carefully stacked into the wall of the tunnels. To his right, dunes of dirt and remains of rock had buried the third doorway even further AND the gap in existence the girl had fallen into. Behind him, he might be able to climb the piles that had stacked up around him and maybe attempt to pry the seal door open again… but in front of him lay perfectly clear the middle doorway. Through which, Cenden could still hear the slight sound of singing, high and quiet in the white noises that were quickly filling his eardrums.

He felt the pull of the Force in his chest.

Of course, it would make him make the choice.

Choices, choices, choices. Pathways. Futures.

His breathing became violent and heavy, his fist clenched tightly at his side.

"SITHPIT! SPIT! _SPIT! AAHHH!_ " Cenden bellowed into the echoes of the tunnel, "YOU JUST _LOVE_ TELLING ME VHERE TO GO AND WHAT TO DO _DON'T YOU!?_ GO HERE! GO ZHERE! WELL GUESS WHAT!? I'M NOT GOING _ANYWHERE_ BECAUSE YOU LEAD US TO DEATH! WE FOLLOWED THE FORCE AND THE FUTURES AND VE'RE DEAD. ZHAT GIRL THAT SEEMED TO _WORSHIP_ THE FORCE, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE SEEMED TO, IS PROBABLY _DEAD_ BECAUSE OF YOU. AND ZHE CAPTAIN, WHO BELIEVED IN THE FORCE MORE THAT ANY NON-FORCE WIELDER I'VE EVER SEEN IS _CRAZY!_ YOU SENTENCED US TO _DEATH…!_ " His voice choked up, tears streaming down his face, "You sentenced us to death… All of us. They were all slaughtered by the hundreds… Why?"

The ringing in his ears drown out the world around him. In the blur of his tears, a shape formed in the darkness of the tunnel. A hooded figure in temple guardian attire stood before the Jedi. Cenden sucked in a breath.

"The Force didn't sentence us to death…"

"No…" Cenden took a step back.

The figure looked up from beneath the hood.

"We did that ourselves." The memory of a man reached out his dark hand towards Cenden, "I'm sorry, but there's something you need to finish."

"No… It's not real. It's not real."

The man laughed, sadness of the edge of his voice, "No old friend… Cenden? Is that what you're calling yourself now? Sadly, this is as real as it gets. But the Force didn't sentence us to death. Please there's something you need to see again, and something new."

"You're sick! Bringing him back like this! How could I follow this path any further? Look where it's lead us, and to think I almost trusted it again. Leave me _alone!_ " Cenden scoffed, turning towards the piles of ruin behind him to begin his struggle up the dirt.

"The Force didn't bring you down here for no reason Cenden. Come see where this path ends, perhaps finishing it will bring peace."

Cenden froze in his climb.

He couldn't leave those two down here, if Vis wasn't dead and Soron not… Whatever he is at the moment, then maybe there was a chance to save him. But to think of himself as a puppet to the Force any longer…

"You're not a puppet Cenden, we are all made with choices to make."

He yelled and pounded the dirt, sending up a cloud of dust around him before and turned and slid back down the pile, trudging towards the doorway to the figure standing before it.

"Choices as long as they're the ones you want, right?" Cenden retorted before footsteps followed the ghost.

OOOOOOOOOOO

I felt as if I was falling for two years.

A tumble and jumble of limbs flapping endlessly through the air along with the rocks and dirt cascading down with me.

I hit the ground.

" _OOF…! Huuuurrhhh…"_

My body crumpled in on itself and every bone threatened to snap under the strain of my propelled force. But more importantly at the moment, I couldn't breathe. The air got squeezed right out of me on impact.

My body tried to squirm around to figure out where all the air went but every part of me refused to move, I could only manage to twitch. At the same time I couldn't see anything in the darkness around me, but somehow even the pitch blackness looked to be swirling in a vortex.

I suddenly gasped for air as it felt like my head was splitting in half while I rolled over onto my back.

A sense in my legs suddenly came rushing through me.

' _Move.'_ Some force whispered… Some force?

' _My guide!?'_ I thought suddenly before the space around me shook and above, it looked like a storm of rocks and clouds was forming through the hole in the sky. ' _Uh oh!'_

I pushed myself into a roll as piles of debris from the room above came careening in waterfalls into the space I had just been laying. Coughing the dust out of my mouth, I realized two things right away. One, if there had been any lick of light in here it was now twice as dark as it had been a moment ago, so I must've fallen through the floor… and now the hole I fell through was covered in landslide. Two, how had the place I had lived in for so long be so dangerous all the sudden. And three, I sensed my guide's presence again! ...Oh wait, that's three things… My head hurts.

I tried to roll over and stand up, but my ankle screamed in protest. I guess it didn't matter if I could stand up anyhow. As I had searched my body over with my mind, that the one moment I had been able to sense the Force before the debris fell was all they were going to give me. I was alone.

' _I can't do this. I'm nothing without the Force, I'm nothing without them to tell me what to do.'_

"M-my guide? Please… Help me…"

No sooner had the words whispered passed my lips, did the darkness begin to come to life.

I shut my eyes and plugged my ears, ' _The trial… I'm not ready. I can't do this without you. Not alone…'_

"You're not alone my darling."

I gasped, my eyes fluttered open and a cry flew from my mouth.

"Mommy...?"

There she stood, a shape in the darkness, but it was her. I jumped up from the ground and ran to her. My ankle suddenly tore but before I hit the ground, warm arms were around me holding me from the fall. I looked up to see her face just barely visible in the dark.

My breathing became labored, tears fell from my eyes in droves. I wanted it to be real. I wanted her to be there. But somehow I could smell the scent of blood and smoke still emanating off of her; I didn't care, I pulled myself into the body closer and closer, wracked with sobs.

"Mom… I'm suppose to be strong for you. I'm suppose to be strong with the Force… But I can't. I'm afraid. I'm nothing without the Force, I can't do anything without them. Please, stay with me. I don't want to be alone."

"Vis… You're not alone."

I choked on a laugh, "You already said that mom."

This time, she laughed.

"Because you didn't hear me the first time. You're not alone now and you never will be."

"But… But you're not really here. Without my guide to tell me where to go… I'm really alone. I thought I didn't need anyone or anything as long as I had the Force to guide me. I don't need friends or family or anyone besides them… but I was wrong. I'm wrong. I still- I still need you. I want you to be here with me… I need you to hold me and tell it's gonna be ok even if I know it won't. I'm stuck down here and I failed the test. I'm going to d-die down here, and I never realized I wanted someone around to be here with me for that. Mommy… I still need you. Please." I whispered the words softly in her embrace, like a secret between confidants.

This time I heard her take a sob of a breath. I looked up in surprise. The apparition of her shaking and tears streaming down her face.

"I want to be there with you too. I want to hold you and kiss you on the nose, and listen to your laughter and see you grow… I want to be there for you too…" She took a shaky breath as she combed her fingers through my hair, "But you're not alone. Your guide will never leave you; I haven't left you Vis. But this was something you had to see. You're not alone, and through the Force energy is neither created or destroyed, only transformed. You have a new family now. They will not replace the ones you had and loved, they in no way can parallel them, but they can be there for you, to help to figure out how to do things on your own, to fight for the Force and for yourself. They have sorrows and secrets of their own, and I know you can teach them what they need to know, about the Force, about me. The path is clear… Go, now. Follow the paths. There's a future to be set into place, the adventure you've been waiting for…"

"Wait! Don't go!"

"I'm not going anywhere Vis, but you are. Now, go, if you choose."

With that, she vanished and the cold floor was all that was left beneath me.

Suddenly, I felt energy rush back through me. I gasped as if the breath of life had left and returned to my body. I also felt the strings of futures, old and new weave their web back through and around my mind. But I was still crying.

Trying to calm myself I sniffled as I stood before I heard a voice not far off echoed softly throughout the dark.

"Vis."

I looked up to see a man with a crop of blonde hair standing in the dark.

Cenden.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Soron found himself no longer in the dank cave of the ancient temple. He saw the forests ringing around him; needle-like spires of stone rising even taller than the flora. His nose smelled the familiar scent of clean air, woodland, and...blood.

His eyes snapped up at the Shistavanen before him, and to the gaping wound dripping from the man's chest.

"No." He gasped, taking a step back. "Not again."

"You did this to yourself Soron." The older Shistavanen said. "You did this to them as well." He gestured to two nearby bodies.

Bodies lay strewn across the forest floor. The bodies of Soron's friends.

"You…" Soron began, fighting back hot tears. " _YOU MONSTER!_ " He howled as he ran towards him, claws ready.

His opponent merely sidestepped and kicked Soron in the stomach, sending him tumbling forward. Soron only snarled and rushed at him again. His opponent once more sidestepped his wild charge and brought his own claws on Soron's back, cutting deep into his shoulder and back.

"You can't beat me, you know that." The older combatant mocked as he looked down on his adversary.

Soron spat on the ground, crouching low once again. "I don't care."

Cenden part:

Cenden saw four figures emerge from the darkness. Small, hooded figures clad in coarse brown robes. Cenden shook his head in confusion. The figures flipped their hoods back in unison, revealing childlike faces.

The faces of younglings.

Cenden felt a momentary feeling of relief surge through him at the comforting sight. A moment later four blue blaster bolts exploded from the darkness, tearing a hole through their chests, each crumbling to the ground.

"NOOOO!" Cenden screamed in anguish.

However, the four younglings rose to their feet, eyes glazed over yet filled with anger.

"You let us die." The rightmost youngling, a Twi'lek, said with an echoing voice.

"You let us die. You let us die." The rest continued to chant, eyes boring holes into Cenden's soul.

He turned to run, but found himself rooted in place. His finger instinctively activated his lightsaber, causing the ghostly younglings to reel back in horror. They receded into the darkness as another group took their place. This time it was several colonists, clad in only dirty rags. Behind them emerged stormtroopers, forcing them to their knees and aiming their blaster rifles at their backs.

"Please," a human woman begged, tears cascading down her face. "Save us."

Cenden strained with everything he had against the invisible bonds, but couldn't move. Their cries tore through the air as the red bolts tore through them. Yet like the younglings before, they rose to their feet, wounds still sizzling and stormtroopers now gone.

"You let us die!" The woman shrieked, now a banshee leading the cries of the dead. "You let us die! You let us die!"

"I'm sorry." Cenden broke down, body slumped and tears welling in his eyes. "I-I was"

"A coward." A booming voice called. "Couldn't you have saved them? Couldn't you have done more? Couldn't you have just died instead?"

Soon Cenden heard his own voice uttering the same words.

"The risks you took. The lives that were lost. _And for what!?_ " Cenden saw himself standing in front of his own eyes, "For this husk that roams the galaxy before you now? What will you do now? Gain riches for yourself? Gain riches for others? For what purpose did you live? What use have you done with the efforts of the lost souls you've gathered in your heart?"

Cenden cried out as he fell to the ground, the beating of many hearts pressing up against his own.

"19 souls and that makes you 20. They made their choices. _What choice do you have?_ " He heard himself say the last part loud and clear.

He took a breath and stood to face himself. He stared into the cold eyes of the man before him and saw the reflection of a much younger self in the glass, clad in guardian's robes.

"I was not a coward." The lips of the reflection moved along with his words, "There was nothing more that could've been done besides my own death, and what would that have solved now? They made their choice. Now I make mine."

In the reflection, Cenden threw off the old personality, bits of the fabric still clung to his own skin, but before him now stood the perfect mirror image of his own self. His new self. The eyes were still clouded, but no longer in them did he see a young temple guard, he saw Cenden Sondron.

The fog parted.

Cenden fell to his knees while the visions about him faded away. As he stared at the ground, a foot suddenly came into view. He looked up to see the smiling face of his old friend.

"It really was good to see you again." Cenden smiled.

The figure turned with a nod and strolled further into the darkness, "I'm sure we'll meet again soon with the path I'm taking you on, but for now you have much to learn."

With that the figure faded quickly into the distance before it vanished, and a smaller figure stood in his place.

Cenden breathed a sigh of relief.

"Vis."

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Soron stumbled back, panting as he inspected his wounds. His energy was nearly gone, and his wounds were plentiful, his opponent in a similar shape. All the while his head felt like it was going to split apart. He couldn't let the pain distract him, he had to win, he had to avenge them. It couldn't end like this, not again. Not _ever_ again.

"This can't go on forever." The older Shistavanen taunted.

Soron's ear twitched. He had a plan this time. "Only one of us walks away from this." Soron looked up, lips peeling back from his fangs. "And I'll go down fighting." He said as he made yet another seemingly blind charge.

His opponent smirked as he prepared the same maneuver as before. But this time, Soron turned on a dime, claws smashing into his opponent's stomach as the other's blow sailed above his head. He fell to the ground, but Soron was quickly on top of him, pinning his opponent's arms under his legs as his hands gripped around his head.

"Please don't do this Soron! I was only doing-" He began to plead.

"I don't care. Your words are meaningless." Soron snarled as he began to pull.

"Please! I-" The voice was cut short as Soron twisted, a crack reverberating through the small canyon.

Soron panted as he stumbled away from the body before he fell to the ground, clutching at his head. It was too much.

He curled up into a ball on the soft forest floor, needles from the trees poking at his ears and arms. It felt almost comforting to feel those sharp objects driving into his body, like a distraction from the needles in his mind.

' _If I am to die. At least I will have avenged them. At least I killed him.'_

"Yes, yes. Good job you killed me. Again."

Soron let out a frantic yell as he tried to raise his head from the ground. It couldn't be. It's impossible.

"Oh but it's quite possible as most things are." His father came walking into view above him. His head lolling a bit to the side, but his face in a state of obviously disinterest.

Soron's hands pushed harder against his temples as he screamed.

"Please stop that. You're the only one making him look like this. You're the only one creating this memory. I could've tried to meeting with you anywhere, but it's easier for ones like you to be in the memory that most frequently defines one's on character. And even then…"

The pain escalated in his head like a bottle ready to pop.

"Who… Are… You…!?" Soron yelled as he spat out as many words as he could muster.

"Why is that always the first question people ask? I guess I have the answer, but questions are so much more useful. And you, my friend have a lot of questions, so let me raise a few more. Did you really not notice that the scenario that just played out already happened? Did you not notice that you thought the same thoughts as before? Did you not notice that killing your father helped nothing but yourself? Your friends are still dead, and the death of one more changed nothing. Soron… You want answers, but you have to be willing to change some things in here, you have to be able to see things from a larger perspective than this."

The ground fell away, he howled in agony as his whole homeworld came into view. Space engulfed his vision and his body dangled in the open air, he felt like he was being lifted by the threads of his brain.

"I need people to help me, it's been so long since I've had proper help. Someone who'll listen and follow my instruction. That'll question me and not take advantage of the gifts I give. I'm done for now with those who are sensitive, I want those who'll listen. Now listen. I have a plan for all of you, a destiny if you want it." His father's face began to melt away, Soron couldn't see them anymore, it was like talking to an invisible star, energy pulsating from all around.

He screamed and tried to pull away, he struggled for only a moment more before he took a breath, and clenched his teeth and watched.

The planet that had been near him morphed and changed until it appeared to be a mind filled with an ocean. He looked off now into the ever expanding space, and saw more of them appearing. Some red with desert, some green with earth, some blue with rain, some yellow with sun. The minds all connected. All of them perfectly linked. 66 of them.

He screamed as his mind felt like it burst and everything went dark.

OOOOOOOOO

"CENDEN!"

I have no idea how or why I could see him so clearly in the dark, but I didn't care. My legs acted on their own, speeding across the surprisingly even floor faster than a rogue speeder bike. Tears streamed down my face as I saw him turn and start running towards me as well.

My one foot suddenly stopped moving.

" _AHH!"_

I screamed as I flew forward barely catching myself as I hit the floor.

I stumbled up swiveling about to see what stumbled into me before I bumped into something else from behind.

I jumped. Turning, I could see Cenden's face in the dark, plain as day.

"Cenden!" I yelled in joy as i jumped into a hug.

I don't think I remembered the last time I hugged a person that wasn't a really saddening Force illusion. Might as well be a potential Jedi Master. He coughed and patted me on the back a bit before wiggling his arms in a signal to shake me off.

I released the prisoner, smiling up at him and his angry face. Strangely enough, he looked different. I hadn't known him for very long, but the lines on his face looked a lot less creased and a lot more… Calm? I guess that would have to be the word.

"Glad to see you're ok." He observed.

"Well I mean physically I sorta hurt everywhere, and emotionally I ALSO hurt everywhere. BUT I'm not dead and that's great! Where's Soron?" As the words passed my lips, a stomach chilling thought occurred as I turned around towards the lump on the ground.

Cenden watched as I reached out into the dark, blindly feeling for where the lump had been. As I did so, I could feel something building in my mind like…

My fingers met the squish of cloth and flesh.

I screamed as everything came rushing in.

The floor, the ceiling, the life, all of it connected and breathing and swarming and and…

I took a breath as I felt the pull and push I the Force's warm smile in my mind, swimming about, looking through my head, like a bug returning to its hive.

"I missed you so much. Don't you ever leave me again." I whispered to myself as I felt the life force of Cenden and Soron connect with my own through my guide.

My mind flashed back to my mother sitting in the darkness of the cave… I guess the Force hadn't left me, had it?

Cenden walked over the kneeled next to me in the dark. I noticed his face was no longer illuminated by whatever had been making it glow.

"Oh my god, Soron." I could hear Cenden mumbling in concern as he flipped the captain over from his crumbled position on the ground.

"He's alive. But he had a lot of energy build up inside of him… He still does actually."

"I warned knows what it did to him."

I looked at Cenden.

"Let's find out?"

I placed a hand in front of his face. I let the tendrils and threads of energy flowing off his mind begin to interweave into my own. I pulled. And pushed. And pulled!

...Nothing.

"Vhat are you doing?" Cenden exasperated.

"I'm um, trying to read his mind or something? Or at least try and move some of the energy along." I sighed as the connection sagged.

"Well, zhat's not how you would try and do either of zhose things." He now placed his hand in front of Soron's face.

"Don't you have to ask Soron to read his mind first?" I questioned as I scooted closer.

He was quiet for a moment, "Thoughts are easier to hear when people are asleep, but a lot more jumbled."

I felt the Force draw in around him. I sort of tried to "keep tuned" to feel what he was feeling. I could feel the Force surround the thoughts in Soron's dormant mind as well as Cenden's own. He seemed to be, rather than pulling and pushing like most things felt, almost unwinding his mind. Or perhap drilling deeper. Then he simply waved the connection away and felt for what was underneath, it was simultaneously terrifying and beautiful. But something felt, wrong.

The thoughts came rushing out.

A geyser and we were caught in the blast.

I screamed as images and thoughts burst into my brain. Pains, scents, sounds, but most importantly, the darkness above us opened up into space itself.

I looked over at Cenden only to catch a glimpse of my mother, a dark-skinned human, and a grizzled old Shivasten standing in front of Soron's still unmoving body.

' _I'm having a vision… My guide. This is a vision.'_

The figures stepped closer together as the slowly faded into a light of seven different colors… Why did I know that?

The light all shown in every direction it could, mingling with the light of the stars above. They we saw it. Planets fluttering about through space like petals off a tree.. Or sparks off of a fire. I could see four great fires igniting from two eclipses, one from a moon one from a planet, but with two eclipses comes two suns. Twin suns. Twin lights. Twin voids. And two shadows. All of these still clung to a tree, whose branches were alight but nothing burned, Only its petals that departed burned for a short while before scattering to stars. The tree's roots stretched so deep that no rain water could penetrate it, only water from the deepest and longest river. And finally, I realized I'd stood and walked forward. I walked steadily among the tree's branches, yes, this was where I needed to be. Where I wanted to be. The glowing veins of the tree all so perfectly interconnected and wove in such a way that made perfect sense in that it made no sense at all. Always with second meaning, always with more to be discovered. And more to be understood. A star unfurled from a constellation. I held it in my hands for a moment before the light filled my eyes.

I walked with Cenden and Soron for a while in the light, my guide swirling in waves about us in the most serene silence.

Then there were other colors, and sounds. So many sounds.

I felt something touch me, but it felt like a shock of lightning. Blinking the blurry form of a Mandalorian came into view.

Looking back, I saw Cenden and Soron laying near the entrance of the trials room, the door still open. I also looked down to be a polished white orb shimmering in my hands.

Lerti was saying something, and Nek was reaching for something, but I was too tired. So I nodded, hoping that would look like I knew what they said as I slowly descended to the ground, curling up with the circle close to face.

Then I closed my eyes to sleep.


	13. Chapter 9: Rising Action

Disclaimer: We ( zazabelle and draksisreborn) own nothing but our OCs. Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. Please review and enjoy this latest installment.

Rating: T

Energy is a fickle thing. The whole universe is made out of it, but no one seems to know what it is. Well, a void of energy is simply nothingness, like death. And a void filled with something, that's life. I wonder why it's so hard for many to believe that the universe that they talk to so often is just a little more sentient than they first knew? Is it so hard to believe the life you exist in is thinking too?

For a moment, I felt that energy envelope me. It sounded like voices and memories.

Then I felt something crush my chest.

CRACK!

My eyes shot open from the pain as I gasped and sputtered for air, the wind knocked out of me. My rib burned and I crumpled in on myself while my body screamed in agony.

"I'm dying."

"You're not dying." an angry accent spoke.

"Dying."

The voice sighed. My vision came dancing into view as my breathing leveled out, and I saw the pale, lined face of the Jedi come into view. "C-Cenden? I think my rib is broken. Am I going to die?"

"First of all, your rib is not broken. It vas dislocated, which it isn't anymore and we all die eventually so suck it up." With that I watched him gather what looked to be medical supplies off of the floor.

With a lot of effort, the man rose off the ground. I looked on as he walked just a ways with a slight limp before settling on a pillow pile not too far away. I looked around at where I was, trying to remember what was going on. I was still in the temple, that was a given. Those were my pillow piles, and the shelves on shelves of holocrons and scrolls still grew around me, so I was in the library. Moving my hands to hover over my face, I noticed the appendages had a lot of cuts. Some were so fine that they managed to slice some of my freckles in half which, were shifting between a pinky red to a light purple.

Then I felt the Force weaving between my fingers. Almost holding my hand. I let out a sigh of relief as I enjoyed the feeling of peace again; my guide was back. I looked up where I pretended their eyes could be and my mind suddenly connected the fuzzy dots.

Then it all came rushing back.

I gasped and sat up before screaming and hunching over in pain.

"You're still injured, remember?" Cenden imparted.

"CENDEN!"

"I'm not that far away, kid."

"I had a vision! WE had a vision! Soron had…! Wait. Where's Soron!?"

He nodded in the direction behind me. I swiveled around, again provoking the sharp stabbing in my chest. Sucking in a breath, I winced at seeing the captain laying in no better condition then I'd last seen him. All crumpled up on the ground with the look of pain on his face. At least this time he was all bandaged up and had a few pillows. Seeing him, the vision flashed through my mind. I pushed away the feeling of pain in my temples and watched it again. It was so clear as day. My mind seemed to store it away as a dream, but I felt the feeling of the experience like it'd really happened.

'My guide… This is the best day of my life. I never want to forget any of this.' I thought before I crawled over to Soron on my hands and knees.

"Where is everyone else?" I asked Cenden over my shoulder.

I heard the squish of pillows as he must've readjusted his position before responding, "We were in there for a few hours. In the trials room below the temple. It didn't feel like that long, but time moves differently in visions I guess. I told Lerti, Chol, and Nek to get some sleep. I think BX might still be wandering around here reorganizing holocrons or something as part of his "sentry" duties."

"What about the captain? Is he ok?"

"He's pretty beat up but he's a tough guy. He should be alright. And if you're asking about healing him, I'm too tired."

"You can do that!?"

He rolled his eyes and slumped further into the pillows, "The Force, whatever it's trying to do or say, it's hurting him. He's not Force-sensitive. It shouldn't be able to do this."

"But Soron wants them to."

Sitting back onto my heels, I stared at the captain for a long while, just letting my eyes and mind zone into focus on nothing, and from there I could see it. My guide swirling about him. An invisible force of a million colors and shapes. It moved about me too, and trailed around the library. I could already feel another path forming in my mind. As always, the same sense of urgency moving from one step to the next. Except I didn't need to go anywhere.

The vision flashed through my mind again. Excitement and fear and hope; everything there was to feel welled up inside me, the last thing I remember being a burning-white star.

That's when Soron screamed.

And I screamed.

The captain sat bolt upright. His eyes fly from place to place, finally falling onto me. "Vis?"

"Ya?"

He suddenly choked on laughter and ran his clawed hands across the top of his head, "Does this kind of thing happen often?"

"No. This is new to me too, but this sort of thing happens a lot in my mind." I looked back at Cenden, who was now working to stand and make his way over. "We need to write this down."

"Agreed." Soron nodded, a smile stretching across his face.

"Ahem."

The three of us looked over to see Nek standing between some of the shelves. "I'm guessing you're going to need this."

His hands turned over to reveal a polished white orb sitting in his palms. He was holding the star.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

What do you do when the universe sends you a message? What steps do you take after that?

The Chol and Lerti had returned from the ship with food, only to find the other five, including BX, standing together, having possibly the strangest conversations imaginable. Vis and Soron at the center of it all, the girl reading through scrolls and pulling up what looked to be notes on the odd terminal at the center of the room, while Soron asked questions, gave answers, or made BX find more items to satisfy either one. So the two gave a mighty shrug and decided to join them.

Each of them - the girl, the Jedi, and the captain - had seen something in the temple amidst the visions of torture from the past, there seemed to be some message for the future. They weren't quite sure what they were looking for, as usual, but the girl seemed determined beyond determination to connect the dots. And when one has done nothing but study this sort of topic everyday for five years with the knowledge that every bit of it may become useful at any moment, it's safe to assume that every thought and piece of reasoning pouring out of Vis' head needed the same amount of time for any logical context. All the while Vis held the white crystalline orb tight against her body, almost like she was guarding it. Or trying to absorb it.

First things first, the recount to the crew of the events that had occured before the visions. That was easy. Daring fights with creatures beneath the ground of unknown origin. That only led the problem of being separated, which was slightly more confusing and warranted a lot of apologizing from Soron, but it was still understandable. Then it came to the visions. And that needed nearly an hour of Vis' explanation on what visions were and why they were important in themselves, Cenden jumping in every once and a while to correct an important detail or reword something to be more understandable. But then it became nit picking.

At the 'data table' as Vis called it, she recorded the accounts in its database of everything each person could recall about what they saw, only after a lot of convincing to share important details about the more… traumatizing visions, enough data was collected for the real work to begin.

"Ok. Ok. Lets go over it again." Vis moved about the table, running the smooth sphere through her hands as she talked.

"We've gone over it a million times, kid. Nothing really seems to be of any significance to us." Chol said gruffly.

"I know, I know. But we're so close. It all connects because it has to. Too much has happened now." She held up the sphere in front of her eyes, "Ok! So! We all saw people we've lost. That's a given, represents past causes of future events or something according to one of those scrolls," she gestured to the growing pile of "past vision" category scrolls, "Then we saw planets… I mean there was a lot of other stuff, but planets was the main concern right? We can all agree on that?" Only Soron nodded, "So what are planets? They're big spheres of stuff orbiting a gravitational pull… Wait!" She looked at the sphere in her hands, "That could be something!"

She threw the sphere into the center of the data table and gasped as she started jumping up and down. "Yes, YES, YES! That's the parallel we've been looking for! Cenden press the button!" Vis excitedly pointed to the record button on his side of the table.

The table lit up to indicate it's recording, Vis cleared her throat. "In the vision, we saw a ton of planets, the amount of which Soron can't remember yet. Planets orbit gravitational pulls such as stars and sometimes collapsed stars. If this thing is supposed to parallel the vision we had, then that means that this, is a blank holocron!"

"Wait vhat?" Cenden interrupted as he peered at the floating moon-colored orb at the center of the table.

"Ya look! On the table, it has the same sort of weird internal set up as a holocron, but there's nothing in it!"

This time Lerti stepped in, "Ok, I'm barely hanging onto what's going on here, but didn't you say in your vision this orb was a star?"

She thought for a moment, "Ya, I guess you're right, but! Galaxies give way to new galaxies when they explode, or collapse, or whatever. The vision could've counted as an explosion right? So then the stardust gave way to a planet?"

"This all seems to be very subjective." BX joined in as well, the droid rolling up one of the scattered scrolls across the floor.

"That is the nice thing about visions. They have hundreds of different meanings. Everytime you look at one you can find something new." Vis smiled, obviously proud of remembering some quote.

"Then how do we know what we're discovering is the right thing?" Nek inquired.

"I guess if we're seeing it now, it's the right thing for now." Soron answered, "And right now, the vision is implying that the planets are holocrons."

"YES! I swear that was on the tip of my brain!" Vis jumped back in.

"So planets orbit a star, but you saw them all connected to a tree. So holocrons connected to a tree?" Lerti observed peering closer at the sphere.

Vis looked off into space, falling strangely quiet before whispering, "Hold on a moment. It's there."

Her eyes went all bugged eyed as she stepped forward and looked further off into space. Cenden could sense her connecting and stringing something together, like she was having a conversation with the Force before she closed her eyes and started mumbling to herself.

"Trees. Trees have roots, these roots connected to a river, rivers connect to the oceans, oceans are on planets which house life. Trees are connected to life, life connected to planets, planets are holocrons, connected to life, connected to the Force circling the pull of the Force like a star. Holocrons are circling knowledge of the Force." She opened her eyes. "Got it."

She walked over to the data table and took the orb, the crew stood watching. She took a breath.

"I know I don't know anything about any of you, but I know a bit about the Force, and they really wanted us all to be here. They wanted you to find me, they wanted me to find you. I think they've been looking for someone for a long time to listen. Someone who's not on a side. Someone to just do what they need them to do. The Force has a message for the galaxy, a warning… I think it needs us to collect the holocrons that will have that message. And I think we're supposed to record the ones they inspired others to record in here." She held out the orb, "I think we're supposed to piece together a message."

Everyone was silent for a moment as they thought on the strange words spoken. Words that seemed to hold such a clear purpose, and yet…

"How many?" Cenden broke the silence.

Vis looked up from the orb, "I don't know. I don't even think it's so much individual holocrons as much as it is pieces of information stored in each holocron. Like, each one has a lot of random info depending on which one you have and who recorded in it."

Soron sighed as he stepped forward, "I think, I may have just remembered the number of holocrons I saw. But you're not going to like it." He announced solemnly looking at Cenden.

"66. I saw 66 holocrons."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It had been about an hour since Soron and Cenden had disappeared back to the ship to continue their shouting match, although what they were saying had almost immediately been lost by the even BX. What the crew had been able to understand was something about the holocrons, a "captain's decision," and a rather vulgar retort from Cenden. Unfortunately, Vis was unable to cover her ears in time.

Chol had also gone back to the ship, but was likely staying as far away from the shouters as possible, leaving Nek, Lerti, BX, and Vis to their own devices in the library.

Nek sat fiddling with the orb at data table, examining the file structure of the empty holocron while Lerti lay on the floor with her feet propped up on one of the more empty shelves. Meanwhile, Vis lay on one of the smoother spots of the floor doodling with great focus on an old vacant scroll piece.

Nek poked the floating orb before kneeling down to examine the underside of the table, "So what is this thing exactly? Cenden said that only the Jedi can open holocrons using the Force?" Nek asked the small artist hard at work on the floor.

Vis' head shot up from the paper followed quickly by her body and within a moment kneeled near Nek at the table, "I've been looking a lot into this thing actually. The Force does open the holocron, but this table seems to have been modified to as to emit some sort of sound,"

"Frequency." Lerti corrected.

"Ya! A frequency that keeps the holocron in place while also extracting data from the holocron's mainframe. Holocrons can hold hundreds of years worth of data and even present messages from the Force if combined. The crystals have a similar frequency to the Force. That's how the Force designed them I guess." Vis finished, looking at Nek's near equally excited face.

"Sounds like an organizational mess. But a beautiful one nonetheless." The man marveled as he stood and ran his hand over the screen.

"It is! You always find just the right information you were looking for in these as long as you're looking for it." Vis stated with a nod.

Lerti turned her head the most she could manage while upside down, "Do you always speak like you're trying to talk in riddles?"

"Sure! I've lived for five years in a giant library with almost all the information you could ever think to look for, so I know a ton of riddles. Wanna hear one?"

"I'll pass." The Mandalorian dismissed.

"I would love to have one of these in on the ship. It actually looks like a targeting computer on a Republic ship. I would have to open it up to see how it worked, but I don't want to risk damaging it. Do you know if the blueprints for this thing are here?" Nek inquired as he peered around the library.

Vis shrugged, "I'm not sure. I didn't want to mess with the thing that gave me the info I needed to do research, so I've never really looked as far as how it might work. I'm no engineer, but it's too bad whoever collected all these holocrons into this old temple didn't leave behind a record of themselves…"

"You mean… All of this stuff wasn't apart of the temple?" Nek asked.

"That's what I thought at first too, but it doesn't make sense that all of this was apart of the original temple. I mean, look at the walls and ceilings. This place is ancient. But the shelves and bed stuff that I use, not to mention the data table, they couldn't have been here more than a year or two after I got here." Vis explained as she stood and ran her hand along one of the nearest shelves.

BX's head suddenly popped around the corner of one of the shelves, "She's right. My scans indicate that this wood is foreign to this moon and would've decayed long ago."

Vis smiled and tapped her fingers along the data table. "I wish whoever collected all the holocrons here had left a name…!" Her face suddenly fell.

The girl's slanted eyes grew wide in her head as she looked up and slowly turned, as if she were looking at the library for the first time. The others watched as her freckles shifted from their electric green, to bright purple.

"Whoever collected the holocrons! SOMEONE COLLECTED THESE HOLOCRONS! Guys!" she started jumping up and down. "This mission was already started for us! We're picking up where someone left off!"

Lerti had by now flipped over from the floor and had quickly unfolded to a stand, "Wait. Wait. Kid, what are you talking about? I was barely clear on what we were doing here to begin with, so you're going to have to elaborate."

Vis took a breath, wincing slightly in pain.

"In the most calm manner possible." Lerti cut in before Vis could even get a sound out. By now BX had walked over to join the party out of interest, still holding a holocron in his mechanical hand.

Vis let the breath out and nodded. Pressing her hand into her side regretting the jumping.

"So… If the Force wants us to go around and collect holocrons with some kind of message, then why can't we assume that all the holocrons we need are right here? Someone put all of these holoboxes and triangles and little holobits here for some reason! Maybe they just couldn't complete what they started?"

"But then why send us here if someone was already on the mission and you're here?" Nek challenged.

"Hmmm…" Vis' hand went to her chin, eyes shifting down the hallway, towards the foyer, and the ship. "...I don't know yet, but I think it has something to do with 66, the number of holocrons Soron saw. Any guesses?"

The four went quiet for a moment.

"Order 99." BX suddenly chimed in.

"What?" Vis' freckles went deep red.

"Separatist Droid Order 99. I have it on my memory records because of the intertwined events concerning the simultaneous demise of the Jedi. When I was found and rebooted I was given information to the end of the war, the day my system was shut down by the command lined up with the date of the Jedi rebellion." the droid recalled.

"But that would have to mean that someone on both sides of the war somehow gave an order to both the clones and the droids in order to make sure each was carried out without fighting between the two." Lerti analyzed.

"But who could be on both sides of the war and high up enough to give a command like that?" Nek finished, the three of them turning to Vis.

"I know. Hold on. I'm thinking… My guide, I think our brains could use a little help?" That's when her eyes fell on the holocron in BX's hand. "There are no coincidences. Beware misinterpretation." Vis muttered before grabbing the holocron out of BX's claw and running over to the data table.

Swiping the data orb off of the table and stuffing into her enormous trench coat pocket, the girl proceeded to almost throw the data cube into the data table where it rose and unfolded in midair. Vis began shuffling through the files in the cube. Her eyes flying across the screen for a moment before her gaze fell back to the entirety of the files on the screen.

"This is a history cube. I mean, it has a ton of other stuff, but the majority seemed to be shared data history of the Jedi. I've looked through this one before but mainly just for prophecy alignment stuff, it's normally a bit too boring for a read through, but look." She pointed at a date in the files the last one added in the section, "This date recorded doesn't match up with the event recorded… Someone added this later."

"Why would someone add it later? What was so important about that date?" Nek asked.

"Because the day recorded here, the Jedi were a little too busy being put through genocide to be worried about recording it." BX pointed out.

Vis tapped on the file. Instantly one caught everyone's eye. Next to the file describing the event sat another reading: "Contingency Orders for the Grand Army of the Republic: Order Initiation, Orders 1 Through 150".

The four glanced at each other before Vis clicked on the file.

Despite what the name suggested, there was not a complete initiation. In fact, there were more blank spaces in this file than there were filled ones. Whoever had been filling out this list hadn't completed their search for answers. But there was something promising here.

Vis scrolled down the list, stopping barely halfway through. They stared at the emboldened text, each of them reading it's lines over and over again.

ORDER 66: "In the event of Jedi officers acting against the interests of the Republic, and after receiving specific orders verified as coming directly from the Supreme Commander (Chancellor), GAR commanders will remove those officers by lethal force, and command of the GAR will revert to the Supreme Commander (Chancellor) until a new command structure is established."

"What's a 'Supreme Commander'?" Vis asked, "Sorry, government studies is not at all my favorite."

Lerti looked deeply troubled. Running her hands through her red hair, she sighed, "I was little back then, when the Republic was still around, and it's not like my particular tribe on Mandalore cared much about politics either, but I remember this. At the end of the war, when the Jedi supposedly betrayed the Republic, the Chancellor Palpatine or whatever, was given emergency total dictation over the senate. The problem was, he's still there. Palpatine became the emperor of the Galactic Empire."

Vis' freckles went dark green, "Which means he gave the order to kill the Jedi."

"What about BX? Who gave his order to shut down?" Nek questioned.

"I think we're still talking about the same person here." Lerti threw in.

"He gave both orders, because he was on both sides. Palpatine started and ended the war… but why?" Vis inquired, but she looked as if she asked someone far off.

"So he could have utter and complete control of the galaxy. Duh." Nek replied.

"There are other ways to have that kind of power… What did he really need to gain so badly? So you take over the galaxy, then what? What's the point of that?" Vis exasperated.

Lerti chuckled, "Now you just sound like Soron. But she's right. Why go through all of this trouble? Why do all of this? Think of all that was at stake for this guy! Who could want to destroy the Jedi so badly just so you could do whatever you wanted?"

Vis looked slowly over to Lerti, her freckles now shifting suddenly from blue to red, "The Sith. The Sith would."

Vis turned and went to grab another holocron from the shelves, this one a deep red triangle.

"I don't like these ones. They're angry and full of fear. But if you know the truth and that darkness has no power, then you should be fine." With that she threw the triangle onto the data table and it began to unfold.

Something strange happened to the data originally presented. The color on the screen turned purple, as well as all the text. The words seemed to spread and mix with new ones before their eyes.

"My guide. We're looking for who executed Order 66." Her fingers brushed along the strangely mixed new list of Republic Orders, when the screen shifted.

Now, next to Order 66, the title "Darth Sidious" appeared along with the date 82 BBY.

Lerti flipped on a device in her wrist comm connecting her to the Holonet. She sighed again with what sounded like near disappointment and certain fear.

"Sheev Palpatine. 82 BBY. Naboo."

They were quiet for a moment before Vis spoke, "Do you guys realize what this means? The Jedi were under the control of the Sith. They weren't listening to the Force any longer, they were listening to the Republic, which was under the control of the Sith Lord! This explains a lot actually… Why the Force didn't save the Jedi from destruction, why the Sith still have an order, why someone would collect all these holocrons here. The Force gave warnings, but there was no one there to listen… I'm not sure anyone's ever put this all together before."

"If someone did, the Empire would've been quick to silence them." BX observed.

They looked around the library of someone's unfinished work.

Lerti gave a nervous laugh, "I wouldn't tell Cenden about this if I were you."

"I think we have to." Nek stated.

Vis looked back towards the halls of holocrons, "What do you guys think they're arguing about?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"For the last time Cenden, its nonnegotiable." Soron shouted at Cenden for the fourth time.

"The hell it isn't!" Cenden shouted back. "This idea about the holocrons is crazy enough, but I've come to expect that from you. But HER?!"

"What exactly is your problem with Vis?" Soron asked. "The Force is literally speaking to her and telling us what the next step is. In what galaxy wouldn't we take her with us?!"

"Her connection is unnatural!" Cenden spat. "No one in the history of the Jedi has had that kind of connection. How do we know that she isn't delusional?"

"How do you know that about her abilities!? Dogmas like that are the reason you're here and not in your precious temple with the rest of your order!" Soron shouted back.

Cenden's expression darkened. "Be very careful about what you say next, Soron." He glowered. "You have no idea what happened that day."

"And you have no idea what I've seen or done either." Soron sighed. "This shouting isn't getting us anywhere. I am your captain and I say that I'm offering Vis a place in our crew."

Cenden opened his mouth the argue but Soron quickly silenced him "Or would you prefer that I leave a little girl on an abandoned planet at the mercy of whatever scaver or pirate finds her?"

Cenden paused, eye twitching, before he sighed. "Fine, she can come if she wants. You win."

"Don't be like that." The captain sighed. "I'm just trying to take care of another lost soul. That's why I expect you to be less of an ass to her. And to train her." Soron said.

"I am not going to be that girl's master!" Cenden exclaimed.

"Then you don't have to be!" Soron shot back. "Just train her to use that lightsaber well and channel the Force so that she isn't a helpless pup out there!"

"Fine. But might I point out that she's been here quite a while doing just great on her own." Cenden grumbled.

Soron sighed. The two had been arguing between the kitchen counter for what was nearly half of the hour, but the way the loud conversation had been going around in circles, it had felt like an eternity. The captain could understand where Cenden was coming from, there was a lot at stake here. The number of the holocrons had indeed matched up with the numbered Republic Order executed by the now emperor and had wiped out the Jedi. Well, almost all of them. Soron had seen the events transpire in the same ways Cenden had, except Soron hadn't been the target.

Cenden had managed to work quietly for the empire as a nurse for long enough to have gained information regarding the specific order given, and Soron had simply heard the command.

But what irked Cenden so much about Vis was a complete mystery to the Shistavanen.

"I've heard this story before, Soron." Cenden suddenly cut through the silence. Soron crossed his arm with a look of tactful interest. "I've seen this story a million times, it's in every story and legend there is to be written. An orphaned child chosen by a greater power finds a master, with the crew in tow, they go off and fight a greater evil. There'll be losses, an honorable sacrifice. Maybe one, maybe two, maybe everyone… But then for just one moment there's hope in the galaxy. Good triumphs… and then it's gone. Like it never existed or that good is immortalized, and falsified, and made into another great evil. And this goes on. Forever. In an eternal struggle between the light and the dark. There is no end."

Soron's shoulders raised, his arms coming undone, "Vis didn't say anything about fighting!"

"She didn't have to! It's written all over her face! She doesn't even know what she wants to fight yet. But she wants to fight for the Force! She wants to do as it tell her… And I won't be apart of this temporary victory anymore. My life is not worth the sacrifice for a moment of happiness only to again be 'balanced' with evils! Nothing changes."

The two thought for a moment in silence. It was Soron's turn to speak.

"Cenden? I've seen this story before too. A withered old master tired of living, decides to give up on everything and be anywhere accept where he's supposed to be. Then he finds a spark. And that spark changes him. To do what needs to be done, for someone or for themselves. That's you Cenden."

"You don't know who I am!"

"And you don't know who she is! You don't know who Vis is. You have no right to judge what story we're in. No one knows what story we're in. But we're in it. So why don't you let the story play out before you decide how it ends?"

Cenden was silent for a moment for closing his eyes with a reluctant smile. "You really are Jedi material, captain."

Soron laughed, happy the fight seemed to be a its end, "Who says I couldn't be one, right? Who's to say what story this is?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I think I'd heard the question asked before, "If you were stranded on a deserted island, what's three things you take with you?", but I'm not sure I'd ever heard the reverse of that.

I'd known the offer was coming, it just made sense after all to go with them. There was a new path, a new future, leading off somewhere my guide needed us to go. I'd been asking them about it, but I'd only felt a smile of hope and great excitement, so I figured I should be too... Right?

But preparing yourself to go on an adventure, ones that I'd read about in stories for years and dreamed of being in for so long made travelling light a challenge.

Nek had determined we'd need the data table if the main focus was suppose to be holocron examination, which my guide and I agreed to. The feeling around the table felt urgent in a calm way, so it was a good idea to come with. As for the holocrons in the library? We were at a loss. Well, not so much at a loss, but at a confusion.

We needed holocrons, scrolls, holobits, cubes, triangles, and anything that had a legitimate inspired message from the Force within it. That meant prophecies, visions, illustrations, laws, legends, creations myths, even some pictures and recordings. We figured in the end, including what we needed to find, that all of it would add up to some number relating to 66, but there was so much data to be collected. We just weren't sure how to bring it all or which ones held what we needed.

"Well whoever was here before me was pretty thorough with this, where do you think she is now?" I wondered as I walked past Chol to drop several more scrolls into my growing pile.

"She?" Was the only thing the man muttered in concentration, glancing over a scroll.

I smiled, "I always pretended to be a fierce warrior woman guarding these holocrons, and it seems like those things seem to have some truth with imagination!"

The pilot looked up from his scroll and smiled with a nod. He turned the scroll about for me to see, "What about this one?"

I squinted at the letters, the Force gathering about the text. Glazing over the words I focused less on what the words said, and more on how they made me feel… They felt like dust and paper with sparks of someone's own imagination in there. But a lot less truth.

"Nope! Not that one. It feels dusty." I explained; Chol gave another simple nod.

I liked the older pilot, he was a good listener, a good observer. It was a quality I knew had to have positive results.

Taking a breath, my mind attempted to race around again. 'This is it my guide. What you've been preparing me for. Please help to get what you need me to get from here… I'm going to miss this place. I know I'm not supposed to look back, but this place is important. It's hidden. I'm hidden. What if one day I come back and it's changed? What if… I come back changed?'

I reached out to the ground, letting the kyber crystal react to their touch. The veins branching out like paths in the universe.

'No.' I thought as a note to self, 'As long as I have you and I listen to you, I'll be the person I'm supposed to be. The person I need to be. And that means being myself, no matter the stakes.' I looked over at Chol and Cenden collecting a few more holocrons for examination, 'And I'll help them get to know you too.'

With a determined smile on my face, I rose from the ground and skipped off to the next shelf, the light trailing my path. I was still going to miss this place.

'Which one next my guide!?'

My hand moved to a strangely purple one near the top shelf. 'Got it!'

So it went for the next few days. The crew would go and make their way up to the roof of the temple and sleep in the ship while I would lay awake in the temple below, waiting for the sun to raise over the forest's treeline.

'How do I make my last days count here? I don't even know these people and I'm just getting in a ship and flying away with them? ...Is this technically a job? I can't leave this place. I'm sure I'll be back. But what if you want me somewhere else instead of in the heart of the temple? What is the plan? What do we need to do next?' These were the thoughts I found myself thinking in variations over those same two days. But no answers seemed to come.

Then there was the problem of how to collect the data we needed for the orb-y, holocron thingy...

"Hey Vis?"

The sound of a garbled voice barely reached my ears as I opened my eyes and raised my head from one of the large pools in the temple foyer I had decided the float in. I had taken off my trench coat but my dark shirt and gray baggy pants were immersed in the water with me.

It was Nek, "Ya?"

"I was going to maybe show you something for the holocron orb data… But what are you doing?"

I shrugged a bit as I repositioned myself in the water and climbed up onto the edge of the pool's crumpled rock ledges before turning over my hand to reveal my old broken lightsaber I hadn't seen since the trials room.

"A couple months ago I saw something shining at the bottom of the pool but this is the first time I've been able to reach it."

Nek gave a look to the pool then to me with a suspicious look.

I laughed a bit before following the engineer, barefooted and sopping wet back to the temple library. I would dry out soon, I just wouldn't go near the scrolls or books for a while.

I smiled as we entered and I saw Soron deeply invested in one of the more preserved books in the temple. He noticed me watching and waved.

"So, I know we need to take the data table with us. But with the amount of holocrons here plus the sheer amount of scrolls and books here I'm not sure it would be wise to bring ALL of them." Nek began.

"Sure sure makes sense." I responded

"Plus with all Jedi religious studies being illegal in the Empire it probably won't be smart to have a ton of these just laying around our ship, especially not with our line of work."

Something in my brain clicked, "Wait. Is the Empire still a thing? I was pretty little when I came here and I know we were just talking about the emperor guy a moment ago, but he's still in charge? Isn't he evil? What do you guys do for your line of work?"

I could tell I spoke too fast again, and Nek looked at a loss at how to answer. From two aisles down the hall of shelves I heard Lerti's voice echo through, "Yes. The Empire is still a 'thing', it's called the Galactic Empire for a reason. And trust us when we say that we are not the least bit surprised when we found out the leader of it all is possibly an evil superpowered psychopath."

"And as for work. We do what we do whenever we need to do it." Nek added with a smirk. "This whole 'discover the secrets of the universe' thing was more of an aspiration/hobby in between jobs. It's not like we could afford to go to schools in the Core Worlds or something."

"Oh ya! I know my mom… She used to want me to be able to go to the same schools she went to in the Core when she was younger. But she said they wouldn't let me go because I was too 'not human' so she just taught me stuff herself!"

Nek and I made it over to the data table, my bare feet slapping against the floor.

"Jeez kid, I'm sorry." Nek added.

"Doesn't matter to me! I know more than any of those schools anyway. I live in a library." I said as I tapped my head while staring at the screen.

Cenden had placed the orb back on the data table for Nek to look through, as well as two other Jedi holocrons for reference, "Well I was thinking about how you put the two different holocrons together and the data sort of melded together to make new data. And also I noticed this recurring message running through all holocrons that appeared to have data current with the Clone Wars era." Nek tapped on a message labelled "To the Survivors."

I'd watched that one over and over again as often as I could. It had given me hope that there were still people out there willing to exist with the Force. Then again, it's not like I have much of a concept of outside this moon.

The familiar holographic face of Jedi Knight Obi Wan Kenobi appeared on the data table and began, "This is a message to all remaining Jedi…"

Suddenly, from somewhere in the temple I could hear Cenden's angry accent yelling, "Shut that off!"

Nek rolled his eyes and ended the recording.

"Anyway. So the holocrons can communicate with each other beyond being physically connected. I think that's why there's so much data and stuff on them. As one Jedi, or Sith or person puts something into one, the holocrons share the information with the next, but sometimes it gets changed along the way."

"Like the Force is adding their own thoughts to the messages! I knew it! Yes!"

"It's getting hard to wrap my head around, but it seems like the Force or something, is somehow creating patterns from the data given it to then looping it back around and giving answers. Like it's using the kyber crystal as a ground for the energy powering it to act as a mind of its own."

"That's the coolest thing I've ever heard."

"Ditto for me kid, and I'm the one who thought of it. Anyway, I think the little metal pieces on the sides of this thing are acting somewhat like antennas. The Force activates and powers the thing and the kyber crystal picks up the frequency while the metal bits translates the frequency… I think that means we don't need to bring along any holocrons except for this one… No, but then how are we suppose to find the combined information if we can't connect them together…?" Nek voice trailed off.

The Force then spoke up, I felt them poke at my mind, the trail over and poke at his.

"Hey Nek? My guide is trying to give you a thought but you keep avoiding it. Listen for a second."

He looked up at me with a face of surprise. I watched the invisible movement of the Force swirl about his mind, it was so beautifully intricate. And the engineer really did have a knack for thinking outside the box, pun intended.

"How do I listen?" He almost whispered. I noticed his body had gone a bit ridgid, like a delicate winged bug had landed on him and he didn't want it to fly away.

"It normally helps for me to channel my thoughts into the big old clump of thought in my head! Like, um…" My mind sprouted an idea, "Play pretend with me! Let's pretend we're holocrons!"

I ran towards the young man and grabbed his hands, pulling him towards the data table.

"So pretend I'm a regular holocron," I looked at my freckles and tried to make them shift to blue, "And you're the orb! And the data table can just be the data table. So you're sitting there, relaxing, being an orb and you have no info in you, but you're powered up! And the Force is talking through you… but there's no questions to answer." I had Nek sit all balled up on the ground, "So then I come over." I opened my arms and spun around the Devaronian who at this point was laughing with delight. "What happens next!?"

Nek took a breath and actually thought for a moment in between laughter.

"So then I try and pick up on the signal...b-but I have no antenna!" Nek's laughter quickly changed to realization.

"Right! So you're powered up and the possibility of data is inside you, but there's no data and your brain is hearing the Force, but it has to pick up on the message somehow so…"

I felt Nek's mind make the connections, "So it can't pick up anything because it hasn't been given the ability to hear the message yet! But once the antenna are installed we could pick up on the data of any holocron in the galaxy!"

"But we'd still need a way to decipher which holocron the data is coming from in order to find it and combine it with another and record the data or see how the data makes new info from the force."

"And this data table could do the trick. But we need a two way data table."

"Or just two data tables."

"We need to find the blueprints for this table and install one on the ship… But how do we know the holocrons we need aren't already here again?"

"Hundreds of thousands of messages travelling between each one all a bit changed by the will of the Force along the way? The messages we need might be here, but in order to collect the data we need from the Force, whatever it's messages are, we need the original translations from the original authors in order to know what they need us to do and combine them with the right holocrons."

Nek gave me a bewildered look.

"I've been studying this stuff and nothing but this stuff for a long-ish time. I've had a feeling there was a more organized message in this mess somewhere."

"No, no. I get it sort of. It's just a lot to suddenly need to believe in." He said looking about the library, "My parents always told me stories of the Jedi and the Force, and I wanted nothing more than to be apart of it. I think that's deep down what everyone on this crew wants. A chance to be apart of something more."

"Well… That's what I want too. And the fact that you're recognizing what they're telling you means you want this too, and the Force wants you. It's a lot less mysterious than you think if you have the right context."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Are you sure that there isn't an easier way?" Chol asked, rubbing his temples from the glut of information Vis and Nek had dumped on the crew.

"Not without completely disassembling and moving the data table. I may be a damn good engineer, but there's still a high chance that I'd muck something up and ruin the whole mission." Nek replied, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"Fair enough." Chol replied evenly.

"In that case," BX raised his metal hand, "we would have to set up a forward operating base here, and return here until we build one of our own."

Vis nodded. "This place is pretty important knowledge-wise if we're going to figure anything else out."

"But what about that orb we found?" Soron asked. "How do we transfer the information we gathered into it? It doesn't exactly look like the other finished holocrons."

"Well, I think we have to make the outside bits of it in order for the Force to 'transmit' the stuff from one holocron to another. At least I think. Though me and Nek still aren't sure how to make them or what they're made of." Vis admitted sheepishly. Cenden gave a small eye roll in response, a move that did not go unnoticed by Soron.

"I hate to bring reality back into this," Lerti said, "but we'll have to leave here for a while. Besides the fact that we need to gather this information somehow, the ship is low on fuel and we need to get some jobs to replenish our supplies."

Lerti noticed Vis looking solemnly down the hall nearest them, "I hate to even ask this, but I have to go with don't I?" Vis' voice whispered.

Soron shrugged, "I'm going to say that's probably a yes."

"I wasn't talking to you."

"Oh yeah, and we have an addition to the party who'll probably need some sort of armor and a new weapon." Lerti gestured to Vis.

"What do ya mean?" Vis cocked her head. "I have this." She pulled out her damaged lightsaber, but thankfully didn't activate it.

"Where do you keep getting this from!?" Cenden questioned as he grabbed the saber from her hands, "I thought you lost this back in the trials room?"

Vis shrugged, "I found it at the bottom of the pool in the foyer."

Cenden shook his head, "Considering waving one of these within a mile of an Imperial is a death sentence, that probably isn't a good idea." Cenden replied. "Plus it's not in the best working order to say the least."

"Fair enough Jedi man." Vis teased.

"Focus please. We should leave as soon as possible with necessary materials only. We've smuggled some dangerous stuff before but not anything this sensitive. We'll head over to Tiss'sharl. It's the closest planet that's not Outer Rim and should get us the supplies we need." Soron said.

"That time should give myself and Nek enough time to try and reverse engineer some of the data tables components using the scans I made of it." BX added.

"We just need a holocron with some sort of schematics for the data table." Nek built on.

"I'll ask my guide and get it settled!" Vis finished, glancing around the shelves of information.

She wandered off from the others, skipping contently through the shelves of information. Her long trench coat nearly dragged on the ground, and the trinkets she still held in her deep pockets jangled around. She took note of those objects once again as she suddenly made a quick turn for the corner and plopped herself down onto the ground, her hand reaching down and pulling out the six trinkets she'd grabbed out of the burning ship at the Force's command.

She'd spent a long time staring at these objects with solemn nostalgia and polite curiosity. She knew they represented something important to each person they belonged to, but what is a representation without its subject?

Then once again she looked around the library, but with different eyes. She looked instead through the eyes of the hundreds that had written these stories, accounts, prophecies, visions. All the information in the galaxy on anything and everything yet… what was the end goal of all this recorded knowledge? What good does it do anyone when there's so much of it?

'Force… I can feel the answer is right on the tip of my brain. I know what you're leading us up to. The more we collect, the more we have… we just need to organize it don't we? The right combinations, the right messages. Messages from you. Not from evil, not from governments. Just from you. Will it be good news? Will it be… one message or many with one theme? This waiting has gone on long enough. Time to move.'

She shoved the trinkets back into her pocket and went and grabbed a pretty blue Jedi holocron box from one of the shelves.

"This one has the plans?" The Force nodded. "Ok good. I'll leave this for Nek. Cenden will open it for him… I have some packing to do. Just tell me what I need to bring."

Dropping off the holocron at the data table, Vis ran off on a string. In her mind she flew through the sky and tried to imagine herself on a ship made of vapors of water, but somehow the only clouds it became was clouds of smoke. Her freckles kept shifting in and out of yellow to red as she ran up to her room and began collecting her borrowed and scavenged clothes, along with her own journals filled with notes on the holocrons.

She had noticed long ago with the adults in her earlier life, how they seemed to always talk about themselves in the past tense. "I remember when I did this," or "I used to be so,". So as soon as she'd learned to write, and could understand that personality and minds are fleeting, she wrote it down. Such a strange thing to write down who you are, but when you notice that there's a Force that wants you to be whole and a force that wants you to be broken… you learn to write these things down. When you can decipher who you are, working on what you are becomes much much easier.

And now the time had come to prove oneself who they believed to be.

The Force caused the paths to branch out from her mind. Get on the ship or don't. Those were the two paths right now Vis. You can feel it within the others as well, the Jedi being the only exception. The crew was going to leave and come back, while the Jedi's paths were tangled within themselves.

Get on the ship or don't.

Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she turned to the old broken sliding panel she'd yanked open for the past couple months. She could sense her paths leading up into the sky, intertwining with people others had met in this universe, but she'd never known. She could sense the corruption the others carried with them, the feel of it they carried on their backs. The Force, her friend, they didn't want it there. They wanted it gone.

"Will you help me?" They seemed to ask.

"I will. I want to. I'll following the path presented if you protect me." Vis bowed before the open doorway, like a knight pledging their services.

'The Force give me strength.' She prayed as did a prophet of the holocrons with a shiver.

Then she jumped in panic and fell onto her butt as the ship revved to life above the temple. Her heart felt like it skipped seven beats.

"VIS! WE'RE PREPARING THE SHIP FOR TAKE OFF! ARE YOU READY!?" The captain called from several floors down.

Taking a breath she rose from the ground, "This is going to be harder than I thought."

With that, she walked through the open doorway.

A heart of the temple under direction of the mind.


	14. Chapter 10: Tiss'sharl

Disclaimer: We ( zazabelle and draksisreborn) own nothing but our OCs. Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. Please review and enjoy this latest installment. Sorry for the long absence, life has taken a hell of a turn these past few months. But we're back and more motivated for this story than ever! The next chapter should be much sooner, so we hope you all enjoy this!

Rating: T

Vis sat crossed legged as she stared out into the stars from the copilot seat, her heavy bag of tricks still cradled on her lap while her long trench coat flowed onto the ground. She'd been sitting like this for some time now, and as to what was going through her head only the Force knew.

Getting out of the atmosphere had been… a rough experience to say the least, and getting on the ship was even harder, but at the sight of the stars Vis' panicked breathing had paced out to a quiet existence.

Nek had insisted that she sit up front where she could see everything. He'd said that he used to get flight sick but sitting up front had helped tremendously. And Chol had insisted afterward that if Vis _did_ get flight sick then Nek was cleaning it up.

Luckily that hadn't occurred much to Nek's relief and Vis'.

Also in the cockpit stood Soron, Cenden, and Lerti. Nek had gone off once they left the atmosphere to make whatever food they had stored up and BX was probably off in his room re-organizing anything that had moved during takeoff.

"There's… Just so many stars. I remember them now, I missed them." Vis breathed.

"They are pretty beautiful." Chol agreed with a little smile.

"I have to warn you all… And I'm not sure how to explain it, but a lot of new paths have opened up and branched out in between all these stars. My guide's trying to warn me of a lot of things but there's just… so much." Vis explained as she leaned closer to the window.

"That's what meditating is for." Cenden remarked.

"I know I just..." She stopped and turned her head towards the right, looking off in another direction of the infinite ink. Her freckles were shifting between a hue a minute. "I like feeling all the paths, the branches and where they connect. Seeing other people through them and how they connect to me and what my guide thinks of them. I have so much to right down."

Soron smiled, "Well we'll get a room set up for you so you can unpack." He said as the three turned to leave Vis with Chol before adding, "You'll be rooming with Lerti."

"She'll be what?" Lerti burst out as Soron finished leading her and Cenden out of the room, obviously expecting the reaction.

"We don't have anymore rooms that aren't closets or BX's room which isn't much of a difference." Soron pointed out.

"Why can't she can't just lay on the floor in one of your rooms!?"

"Lerti, we're all guys."

"So what, we have morals now!?"

"We have enough morals to know that she's bunking with you and that's an order." Soron finished. Cenden stood behind him, looking somewhat amused.

Lerti rolled her eyes, "Great. _You_ decide to adopt a kid and now _I_ have to take care of it."

The Mandalorian warrior turned to walk to her room, probably to stash anything she didn't want her soon to be roommate to find and or mess with.

Soron turned to Cenden who he noticed was still looking very pleased with himself before the captain added, "So when does training begin?"

Cenden, caught off guard, opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, obviously wanting to argue but not sure how anymore after going toe to toe with him only a few days earlier.

"No answer? Well I'll answer that for you. Training starts tomorrow as soon as we get back from our little detour in Tiss'sharl. We're running low on fuel so we'll be taking a slow pace through hyperspace and will arrive on the planet in at least 24 hours, that should give you plenty of time to come up with a lesson plan." With that, the captain returned to the cockpit, the door closing once again behind him, leaving Cenden to his thoughts.

The man ran his hands over his face as he leaned up against the wall.

" _Truly and honestly I'm asking you, what have I gotten myself into?"_ Cenden whispered in his mind and into the space around him.

From within the cockpit, the girl turned in her seat as she felt the tug of his thought, though she couldn't hear what he said, she knew what he felt. Her brow crinkled as she tried to decipher in between all the crossing paths now before them, where his thoughts would lead him.

"I don't know Cenden. I don't know where we are either."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 _Bang!_

"Ughhh." Lerti groaned from her bunk.

Whatever kind of sleep she'd been having up until that point was interrupted at the sound of something hitting against the walls.

 _Bang! Thump!_

"What the heck?" Lerti finally forced her eyes open, rubbing her hands against her temples. "Vis? Is that you making that noise?" She said irritably as she turned to face the makeshift bedroll.

Only Vis wasn't there.

"What?" Lerti muttered, groggily standing up. "Vis?" Lerti called.

"Find the straggler and secure the area. On the double." A garbled and muffled voice echoed through the hallway.

Lerti shook her head in disbelief, she had to be imagining this. "There she is! Get her!" The voice yelled again as heavy boots resounded faintly.

"...no. NO!" Lerti hissed as she grabbed one of her blaster pistols.

Rushing through the door, still in her sleepwear, Lerti had managed to pull her pants on over and throw her helmet on to face whoever had boarded the ship. Running across the hall she checked both directions for the boarders as she banged on the door.

"Soron get up now! We've been boarded and Vis is out there!"

Seconds later the door flew open as Soron, shirtless and clutching his blaster rifle in his hands, emerged. "Where?"

"I heard them coming from that way, I heard two but there's probably more."

"I'll get Vis, you go get Cenden and BX and meet me there." Soron barked as he took off down the hall.

"We found her boss, she's in there." Soron heard a garbled but surprisingly light voice.

"No! They cut me off, I'm surrounded!" Vis' telltale voice sent a spike of fear through Soron as he pushed himself faster down the hall.

' _How had anyone managed to board without us knowing? What did they want?'_ Soron thought as he turned the corner and almost ran right into Cenden and Lerti.

"I Already heard the noise when I saw Lerti," Cenden explained as he cocked his gun. "Lets get zem."

The three moved stealthily down the corridor and prepared to attack. Whoever they were, they were gathered in one of the ship's open spaces where the crew kept extra supplies, including weapons. The perfect place for intruders to culminate.

Heavy footsteps began at a run towards their hiding place from around the corner.

The three nodded.

With a yell they jumped out and formed a wall of bodies and blasters.

Vis yelled too as she ran with _thump_ into the solid form of Lerti and fell to the ground. The girl was wearing Soron's helmet that he'd left lying around, which muffled her normally high volume and fast paced voice.

"VIS!?" Lerti yelled. "We could have SHOT you!"

The three looked around the room and realized it was empty…

Vis got up off the ground and slowly lifted up the helmet, a smirk could be seen before the covering was even fully removed,

The girl looked Soron, Cenden, and Lerti up and down, "Hhheeeyyy guys? Nice… Pajamas?"

Cenden snarled. It was true, the crew members (just like Lerti), had all thrown on whatever pieces of armor or clothing items they could could manage before grabbing a gun.

"What in the galaxy are you doing!?"Lerti demanded.

"I'm playing a game with my guide! It's pretty fun!"

"We thought someone had boarded the ship!" Lerti exasperated.

"Wow… Was my acting that good?" Vis replied.

Cenden and Lerti gave a simultaneous eye roll and turned to leave the room, Cenden adding, "Play _quieter_ next time!"

Soron, who was now simply assumed by the whole situation, called out to the two, "MIGHT AS WELL STAY UP! WE'RE LANDING ON TISS'SHARL IN AN HOUR!"

When no reply was met, Soron and Vis looked at each other and shrugged. With that, Vis gave Soron his helmet back with a laugh and she turned to run after Cenden.

From a ways down the hallway Cenden and Lerti rounded a corner to find Nek weilding a wrench. He was still in his work clothes but it was obvious by his demeanor that he'd just woken up.

"Whas goin' on? Are we under attack?" Nek slurred from beneath his goggles.

Cenden shoved past him, "No. The 'attack' is over. It was a false alarm and your timing is terrible."

Nek removed his goggles just as Vis rounded the corner.

"Hi Nek! I scared everyone this morning! Is there morning in space…?" Vis followed after Cenden, the last part spoken seeming to be more to herself but at the same volume as if she was still talking to Nek.

Lerti was just ahead of the the Jedi and the girl when BX now rounded the corner carrying his blade. "Is it time to fight?"

"NO." Lerti and Cenden let out at the same time, both of them shoving past the complacent machine.

"Oh. Maybe next time then." BX continued walking with his blade down the hall, nodding at Vis as she sped walked to keep up with Cenden.

"Hey! Cenden!" She reached forward to poke him.

"What do you want?" He says with anger tinted in his voice as he turns to face his follower.

Vis stopped in her tracks, blinking a bit in confusion at the man's outburst. Cenden turned and began his walk again, moving briskly towards his room. Vis moves and trots alongside him.

"Next time we get the chance, do you want to play with me?"

"No."

"Is it 'cause I scared you? Because I'm sorry I didn't know I was being loud and sometimes all the little threads and paths get tangled up in my head and it's just easier to work them out…"

The two reach Cenden's room. He opens the door and makes it halfway into the still darkened quarters before turning to answer.

"Stop talking, and no."

With that he stepped into his room, door sliding to a close. Vis stands on the other side of the door, frustration and confusion again rising to the surface of her gut.

"What are you even saying _no_ to!?" She gave her final word before turning to walk back to Lerti's room.

Afterall, there were a lot of paths to go through today.

Vis walked through the long halls, staring at her hands as she watched the Force weave in and out of them like fog in the trees.

' _We're going to another planet. I'm on a ship. There'll be other people! Other places like I've read about! I'll need to bring all of my journals in case I need to write something down… Maybe I'll wear three shirts, just in case.'_ Vis thought as she organized the enormous list forming in her mind.

Walking into Lerti's room she caught the Mandalorian warrior slipping on her last piece of red and gray armor over her form fitting clothes.

The warrior somewhat ignored the kid as she watched her start rifling through her sack of a million seemingly useless trinkets and objects. Lerti raised an eyebrow as she saw Vis pull out holocrons, scrolls, but also bits of rocks, flowers, gear parts, even a single shoe.

"It's probably none of my business," Lerti began, "But what did your family do for a living again?"

"They were scavengers! They even let me help them find stuff sometimes! Why do you ask?" Vis asked as she threw another pebble aside from her bag.

"No reason." Lerti said as she watched Vis begin to shove random items into her large coat pockets. She also noticed now that the girl was wearing gun holsters that looked ancient. Inside the holsters, there was nothing but more random parts, screwdrivers, ancient credits from the days of the Republic, and what looked to be a heart-shaped leaf tinted with purple.

She wanted to question what in the galaxy Vis was planning on doing with all of that stuff besides get weighed to the ground and jingle as she walked, but the thought of her getting pickpocketed of the items was enough to make her feel better after the incident Vis caused this morning. She imagined the disappointed face of grubby pickpockets nabbing nothing but worthless credits off her, and with that last thought Lerti smiled and headed out the door to prepare for landing on Tiss'sharl.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The ship landed on one of dozens of landing pads, numerous workers milling around it. Though the port city was small by the standards of Tiss'sharl, it still bustled with the almost maniac energy of a trade world. The crew descended down the ladder, Chol immediately breaking off to talk with a tan colored Tiss'shar about necessary landing fees and regulations.

"Alright everyone," Soron began, addressing the crew assembled behind him, "this planet is Mid Rim, which means its safer than the usual dives we visit. But under no circumstances will you let your guard down, run into the wrong Tiss'shar and this place will quickly become as bad as Nar Shadda. Understood?" The crew nodded.

"Good. Now, Nek and myself will try to find any jobs around here and see if we can start assembling supplies from the data table. BX, you help Chol with refueling and guarding the ship." Soron paused as Chol's voice rose in anger at the saurian attendant, allowing a string of choice words to slip past his lips. Luckily Lerti slapped her hands over Vis' ears, who for her part just looked confused. "And try to make sure he doesn't get into trouble." Soron finished.

"Roger roger." BX said before loping off towards the pilot.

Cenden's whole body seemed to tense up as he watch the droid make his leave.

Still watching BX's back Cenden spoke, "I'm hoping I'm not going on anymore odd jobs again? Last time you sent me on my own I got shot at. Multiple times." He deadpanned.

"That's why you won't be alone. You and Lerti will be outfitting our newest member." Soron replied, gesturing to the girl. Cenden's jaw threatened to drop.

Vis' eyes were dazzling at the glistening buildings in the distance, her freckles shifting in and out of yellow, to red, to purple, and back again. The girl's fingernails seemed stuck to her teeth as she pulled at the skin on her nails, a nervous habit they hadn't seen exhibited until now.

"What?!" Cenden and Lerti both shout out in unison. Sighing Soron walked close, leaning into the two of them to whisper.

"The both of you are really starting to get on my nerves. Look, we found this kid, she's with us now, and I'm calling the shots. And the shot I'm calling is that I don't want her to _get shot._ So I need the two of you to work together on this, and buy the kid some armor. That's all I'm asking of you. I don't care where you get it from, but our line of work is dangerous."

"Maybe you should've thought of that before adopting a kid." Lerti muttered under her breath.

Soron suddenly yanked at Lerti's ear, "Well it feels like I've adopted three. We are in a delicate situation right now, and until we can fully comprehend what we're wrapped up in, I need my crew to work together. And I mean _my whole crew._ "

"Fine. But the cost isn't coming out of my cut." Lerti finished with a turn as she headed over to where Vis was still standing.

Soron turned back to the Jedi, his voice dropped so low that only Cenden could hear it. "And you, I'm sick of your attitude. Whatever it is between you and Vis you need to work it out. Immediately. Am I understood Sondron?"

"Fine." Cenden sighed in defeat.

"Good. Now then, let's get moving."

Cenden moved in to join his assigned group. He watched as Lerti slapped Vis' hand out of her mouth but she moved with her other hand to continue to gnaw away at her fingernails, almost subconsciously.

"Kid quit doing that." Lerti asserted.

"Until I get some supplies for a vaccination, if you keep doing zhat you will probably be contracting 30 different kinds of diseases and we _just_ got here." Cenden stated nonchalantly.

At this, Vis' hands shot away from her teeth, "I'm sorry… I just haven't seen so many… and there's so many moving things. And it's so loud. There's so many connections and paths… they're moving…"

"Hate to break it to you, but this is just the landing pad. And the city's going to be a lot busier. This place is a trade city." Lerti described.

"Oh my guide… I'm going to explode. There's too many paths guys. I can't hear. I need them to be quiet!" Vis took a step back towards the ship.

Cenden and Lerti gave each other a look as if to say "should we just leave her behind?" But in a glance they both sighed simultaneously also in an effortless manner of communication saying "Soron would kill us if we ditched her to buy her own armor."

"...Alright. Vis?" Cenden's mouth twitched, looking for the right words before he sighed, "Would you like your first Jedi lesson?" He almost mumbled.

Vis' entire person seemed to perk up, "Really!?" Her freckles shifted to a vibrant pink.

"Yes, but keep it down."

"Oh! Yeah! Sorry." Vis' voice dropped to a loud whisper.

"When you're around this many people you have to learn to focus not on every little path, but the biggest and most present connections. Focus on the people around you, not so much what they're saying but sense what they're thinking and every path will be open to you based on what you're looking for." Cenden finished. Vis stood silent the whole time listening intently to every word as if she was trying to record her first lesson.

"Focus! I think I'd read about that in one of the holocron lessons but I didn't pay much attention to it! Rookie mistake." She took a breath, "Let's go!"

She shifted from foot to foot for a second, almost testing which one she should start to walk with and decided on the left. With a shrug from the two older members to their trio. They started off.

Making it into the city with Vis became somewhat of an interesting challenge. Cenden and Lerti made it onto a transport ship packed with every sort of face and species, and Vis' personality seemed to shift with every change of her freckles. Either quiet and overwhelmed, or excitable and jittery-curious.

As she watched Vis buzz around the transport ship, Lerti had to admit that Vis would probably make a pretty good pickpocket if they weren't here to legally purchase things. The Mandalorian almost had a heart attack she she saw Vis take a vibrantly colored badge off of a particularly burly looking Wookie's belt. The girl put it back no problem, but received some suspicious side glances from other passengers who noticed the feat.

"Vis. Please just sit down. Practice focusing or whatever Cenden told you to do." Lerti hissed over to the girl.

Vis nodded and squished in between Cenden and Lerti in the transport seat suddenly jolting Cenden from a nap Lerti wasn't aware he was taking with his eyes wide open. Vis took a breath and closed her eyes.

The rest of the trip went completely uneventful accept when they were nearing their destination and Vis' eye suddenly shot open and she braced herself against the seat yelling, "Watch out!"

With that the transport suddenly jolted to a near stop and everyone in the transport kept moving with the ship. Everyone righted themselves, and Lerti noticed Cenden had braced himself before hand as well.

"Thanks for the warning." Lerti sneered.

Cenden shrugged and Vis smiled, "You're welcome."

"What was that all about?" Lerti asked as the transport doors opened and they rose to exit. The vehicle didn't come equipped with windows, so the Mandalorian guessed the two had known because of their 'Jedi senses.'

"I don't know." Vis said as they shuffled out in the crowd, "It felt like something just came speeding in front of the transport."

"That's exactly what happened." Cenden explained as he pointed to an Imperial transport that was now stationed just in front of the transport they were on.

Cenden took Vis' shoulders and lead them away before the transport even had a chance to open. "New deployment. Let's avoid them as much as possible. We don't have any identification for her."

"Who are they?" Vis said a little too loudly.

"Quiet." Cenden commanded, exiting the crowd. "The Empire. This planet is very much Imperial controlled but we'll get what we need here. I know I told you to focus earlier, but please, I am begging you to remember that the Empire does _not_ like the Force or the Jedi, so please don't draw attention to us."

"Ah yes, like we won't be drawing _any_ attention to ourselves walking around with a human mood ring." Lerti exasperated.

"Half-human." Vis corrected.

"Let's just get moving and find a place to buy some decent armor already." Cenden asserted before he took a glance around.

The city rose up in huge monuments above the jungle terrain surrounding the city. The air was abuzz with the sounds of the city coupled with the mingle of thousands of bodies all going one direction after the other. Mixing this with the humid atmosphere, Tiss'sharl wasn't exactly the vacation destination of the galaxy, but relaxation was never this planet's forte. Even in the days of the Republic, trade was all that mattered to this planet, and although the politic world of the Tiss'shar has a long running history of violence and assassination, one thing could and would always be agreed on, you integrate with the strongest ally, trade continues, the planet continues to prosper.

It wasn't much of a surprise to the older Jedi that Tiss'sharl had integrated with the Empire as quickly as they did, it was just such a strange thing to see the planet he'd visited so many years ago for power cell supply runs so very changed.

As the three had walked through the bustling city, Lerti had been the only one truly paying attention to their surroundings as Cenden seemed to gaze through the buildings around him, far off. Vis, on the other hand, had her eyes darting around at a rapid pace. She had continuous stopped or absent-mindedly wandered off several times to which either adults would yell or snap. Eventually, Lerti just made her hold onto the side of her gun holster.

After an hour of wandering and shoving through the crowds, Lerti managed to spot a shop tht might serve as for the purpose they were sent out to fulfill.

"Hey, ya there old man?" Lerti waved an armored hand in front of Cenden's face as he snapped from his musings.

"Who are you calling old?" Cenden replied.

"Whatever. Just get in here, I think this place has what we need." The Mandalorian jerked her thumb behind her, where a respectable looking shop stood with a neon sign reading "Yax's Fine Armor Emporium." He followed Lerti and a wide-eyed Vis into the shop. Several stands displayed sets of armor, ranging from heavy clothes and jackets to heavy suits that looked like they were built for Wookiees. Behind the counter sat grey colored Tiss'shar, lazily smoking a metal pipe. As an electronic chime sinks led their arrival his yellow eyes shot up.

"Ah, potential customers!" He exclaimed, taking the pipe out of his mouth and holding it between two claws. "I am the honorable Yax-Tez- Shel, but to you I am simply Yax. How may I be of service to you today?"

"We need armor for zhis one." Cenden said, gesturing to Vis.

Vis' hand shot up into a vibrantly colored wave. From where Cenden stood, he could sense her mind reaching out to the Tiss'shar shopkeep. He didn't want to alert her to his own presence in the connection, but he could sense her connecting him to her own being, and then to the armor around her… It seemed she was examining her choices in the most convoluted way Cenden could imagine.

"Hmm, armor for one so young…" The saurian muttered, taking a long drag before exhaling the smoky vapor. "Ah, it does not matter to me. I shall see what I have in her size." With that he disappeared inside back door behind the counter.

"Guys! These are so awesome!" Vis could barely contain her excitement, her freckles turning bright green as she started darting from rack to rack.

"Let's see if he's as reputable as he claims to be first." Lerti interrupted, tapping her foot impatiently. "I'm getting a bad vibe from him."

"Vhat do you mean?" Cenden asked before the Tiss'shar reemerged, carrying a shiny new set of armor.

Vis whispered to Cenden as she dragged her finger along some expensive looking helmets, "Lerti right. This guy's connections are only to the most expensive pieces… There aren't many in here that I actually need though."

"Don't be picky." Cenden snapped, "You're lucky we're even getting you any armor. Ve'll haggle wit' him until we get what we need."

"Excuse me potential customers! May I direct your attention to these fine pieces?" Yax waved his scaled claws over small, Vis-sized, armor pieces, he'd laid out on the table.

Lerti leaned back from a moment, mumbling, "Just let me do the talking." she finished turning with devilish confidence towards the clerk as she strode over to the counter.

"You really think we'd be interested in these cheap excuses for armor? What do you take us for…?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

My attention quickly wandered from Lerti's haggle.

As interesting as it was (not really), my guide was pulling me in a different direction back into the store. I could already tell we probably wouldn't find what we were looking for here, but at least we weren't on the streets anymore.

It was a terrifying mix of thoughts and possibility out there. I remember bigger cities from when I was younger and not stranded on jungle moon, but we had always steered clear of ginormous places like this. And now here I was, in the belly of the beast. Every turn of my feet mattered to the outcomes, and the twittering of thousands of connections… like flocks of birds back at the temple, but with free will and consciousnesses and… Ah! It was too much! It was worse than being in space!

' _I just have to focus like Cenden said… I can do this.'_ Taking a breath, I closed my eyes as I took a couple of steps forward through the store. ' _Focus on the armor… We're looking for armor my guide. What armor am I looking for?'_

My mind bounced from chest plate, to helmet, to shin guards around the room, before suddenly the connection bounced off a gauntlet like lightning and shot outside.

My eyes shot open as I ran over to the window. Outside and walking past the store, two people clad in all white and black identical armor strode by.

"Whhoooaaaa… Twins." I breathed as I watched them walk past. The Force hovered near them as I acknowledged the two, "Well… That is some nice armor… I wonder where they got it from?"

From at the window I turned and yelled back to Cenden and Lerti who were now having a heated discussion with the clerk, "Hey guys! What about those guys' armor!? It's pretty nice?" I said as I pressed my finger to the window.

"Not now kid." Lerti waved my voice away with a flick of her hand, neither of them even turned around.

And the connection was getting away.

Giving a shrug and pulling the door open, I dove back into the open system of the city and started swimming through the yarn bundles of connections as I glanced around, searching for where the people in twin's armor went. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted them catch attention to something in an alleyway nearby and the two ducked into it.

So I followed, jumping into a sprint to catch up.

"HEY GUYS! WAIT UP!" I called out to them as I made my way through the crowd and towards the shaded alleyway where the twins in white had disappeared.

Swinging the corner, I called out again, "HEY! WAIT!"

A blaster clicked.

I fell backwards on my butt in silent shock as one of the twins in white commanded, "FREEZE!"

My eyes bounced around the alleyway in panic as I nodded.

' _What did I do!? I must've startled them. Maybe they're just jumpy like Cenden.'_ I thought as I slowly stood up off the ground.

"Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you guys!" I put my hands up and let my trench coat sleeves fall back to my elbows.

The two frowny-faced visors of the twins' helmet looked at each other, probably in confusion.

"I just wanted to say I like your guy's armor a lot! I'm in the market to buy some and your's are very nice. Are you guys twins?" I said as I took a step forward.

One of the two dropped their blaster, "What? No."

"Oh! Sorry, I just assumed because you guys have the same exact armor."

"We're Imperial Stormtroopers. This is standard issue patrol armor. Just because we look the same on the outside doesn't mean we're the same underneath."

I cocked my head, "Ooooooo! I like that! I read a lot and that's a great line… Have you ever considered being a poet?"

At this, the second twin pressed her gun further forward, "Watch my six, she might be trying to distract us! She might be with the rebel scum that painted that tag!" In response, the first of the twins, again raised his blaster.

Looking over his shoulder, I saw a brightly painted orange bird painted on the wall… It was really beautiful, they seemed to think it meant something dangerous. "I didn't draw that but… I like the color scheme?" I didn't know what to say at this point.

"Alright. That's it. Search her." The second twin nodded for the first to move in. My freckles shifted into the same orange as the graffiti bird.

"Turn around."

"Ok."

I stood somewhat stunned as the Stormtrooper, the minion of the evil Empire that I almost forgot existed, was searching through my pockets. ' _Do I run? Do I fight? Oh my guide what do I do!?'_

"She's not carrying any weapons, just a lot of junk. Might be a pickpocket." The searcher informed his partner.

"Actually, a lot of them are mementos. My mom's favorite trinkets before she… passed away few years ago." I explained to the trooper as he stood.

"Sorry to hear that." The first Stormtrooper said coldly.

By this time the second stormtrooper had walked up to flank me.

' _You know what.'_ I took a breath, ' _This isn't the first time I've met people at gunpoint! These are just more Soron's and Cenden's! They're just people! My guide showed me over here so let's work with this.'_

I smiled a bit and wrapped my arms around my back, twisting back and forth letting my trench coat swish on the ground. At the same time, also letting the Force wash over the two. The second, more paranoid one, had something swirling at the top of her mind.

"Do… Do you have a mom?" I took a guess.

Even under her helmet, she looked a bit shocked, "What's it to you?"

"I don't know. Just making conversation. I thought you guys looked nice even under the helmets."

' _Too sentimental? It'll have to do.'_

She paused for a moment, seeming to watch my face. "My mom passed away about a month ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that also…"

Suddenly the first trooper piped up, "Wait. Your mom died and you didn't tell me!?"

"Hey you've been busy with your own family, you don't need to be worrying about my family stuff!"

"Just 'cause I'm busy doesn't mean that I don't care!"

I decided to pipe in, "Communication is important, not that I'm very good at it… Oh! Almost forgot!" My hand shot out towards them, "I'm Vis! Nice to meet you both!"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"No, that discount will not be enough!" Lerti and the shopkeeper had been arguing for some time now. "It has to be at least 60% for that trash to be considered valuable!"

"You dare?" Yax hissed.

"I do!" Lerti barked back. "This stuff is worse than what the Imps wear!"

"It seems that for someone of your culture you have poor knowledge of armor. Maybe you weren't worthy of being taught the way of the warrior." Yax's eyes narrowed and a triumphant smirk stretched across his face, while Cenden's own eyes went wide at the Tiss'shar's statement.

"How...how dare you!" Lerti yelled, stomping until her face was inches from Yax's. Cenden turned away for a second, his eyes suddenly growing wide as he looked about the store. A quiet groan escaped his lips.

"Lerti."

"Not now Cenden."

"Lerti!"

"WHAT?!" Lerti yelled.

"Where's Vis?" Cenden asked. Lerti's anger dissipated as she hastily looked around the shop.

"I thought you were watching her!" Lerti exclaimed.

"I'm not her babysitter!"

"YOU SORT OF ARE!"

Composing herself the Mandalorian sighed. "Alright, let's find where the kid ran off to." Shooting one last dirty look to Yax she sped off into the busy streets, the Jedi not far behind.

"Vis! VIS!" They both yelled, trying to spot the half-human girl.

The two both spun about the busy streets in confusion. How long had she been gone? Why did she leave?

Lerti now searched her memory and realized she had heard the sound of the door chime activate about 10 minutes ago, but she hadn't paid much attention to it then. She'd been too far into her "bargaining."

"Soron's gonna kill us…" Lerti muttered under her breath as she continued to search the crowds.

"He won't have to know if we find her. Let's just think for a moment. Why would she run off?"

"She said something about someone having nice armor?"

"I remember that. If she followed them there's a good chance she's either being kidnapped or mugged by now."

"Oh shut up!" Lerti looked ready to punch him.

"I was being sarcastic. She can't have gotten far, and if she was following something she sensed…" Cenden suddenly got an idea and sighed in frustration. "I told her not to use the Force." Cenden started muttering to himself as he began walking out of the crowd and over back towards the armor shop. "But no. She couldn't keep to herself for a day. Just one day. Some padawan." Cenden continued under his breath as he leaned up against the wall.

"What are you muttering about?" Lerti said in a fed up tone.

"Just, be on the look out for me for a moment. I think I can find her." Cenden said as he closed his eyes and began to concentrate.

His mind reached out through the Force. Skimming over the surface of the energy, like running your hand over the surface of the water, he could sense everything moving and alive in the crowd, causing ripples with every thought and decision made. Then he dove down deeper, beneath the surface, and looked beneath the surface at the people swimming about beneath it. In cities like this, you find a lot of Force-sensitives who are completely unaware of their connection. Looking through the "water", he could sense the blurry image of someone willingly walking beneath the surface, and it wasn't that far away from where he and Lerti were standing… Two other figures stood with her, but on the surface, her effect washing over them.

"Gotcha…" Cenden said as pulled himself out of it, safely above on the surface.

Opening his eyes, he looked over about a block away towards an alleyway not too far off, Vis' connection still attached to his being, he pointed. "She's down that alleyway, she's with two other people."

Lerti eyed where he was pointing with a confused look. "Jedi stuff?"

"Jedi stuff." Cenden nodded and they walked off towards the alley, following her trail.

Cenden rounded the corner before quickly pushing him and Lerti back around the corner in panic.

"Stormtroopers." Cenden said.

"What!?"

"Stormtroopers. Vis is with two troopers."

"We have to get her out of there. She doesn't have identification papers. I'll go high, you go low and cause a distraction if you need to while I take them out from the rooftops." Lerti devised the plan and Cenden nodded.

Lerti began grabbing some parts out of her pockets, connecting and fixing them into one of her pistols, quickly becoming a short range rifle.

"What where did you get those from?" Cenden asked.

"Just go get Vis away from those bucketheads, I'll cover you. Remember, try to smooth talk." Lerti commanded as she boosted herself up onto a window sill and began her climb to the roof.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I wasn't exactly lying before when I said communication wasn't my strongest skill, after all, I'd been alone so long and the only person I ever really needed to talk to could read my mind. But as the Force and I spoke with these two, I sensed the balance in our thoughts, even if the words I spoke weren't on topic they were still something the two wanted to hear. In each thought lay another underlying meaning, another purpose for which something was being said. Every off topic represented another desire… another parallel. And from there, it seemed as if these minions and I could get along just fine.

"So all those trinkets you have in your pocket you saved from your family? Why those pieces?" The male Stormtrooper questioned as I'd taken out the pan pipes after the topic of music had come up.

"They just… felt like the right ones to take with me." I shrugged.

' _I want to tell them… Cenden said not to though… I'll be sneaky about it if you don't want to be introduced?'_ I thought to my guide.

The Force gave a nod and settled with us in the conversation.

The four of us stood near the center of the alley way, the female Stormtrooper leaned up against the wall and the male standing near, his blaster lazily slung in one hand. I'd asked them if they needed to get back to work, but they had told me they get 15 minute breaks on patrols as long as they're stationed somewhere observational for crime. I had decided to stay with them.

I looked over at female trooper, "I'm sorry again about your mom."

"It's alright. It's funny, I'm not sure why we're standing here talking like a bunch of saps when _we,_ " She motioned to her partner, "Are supposed to be doing our jobs. I just don't see the point in it anymore. The only reason I took this job was to help pay medical bills, but now that she's gone, it's sort of pointless."

' _Looking for words. Looking for words… Found some words!'_

"Doing something for a cause without a purpose is pretty sad I'd say."

The male trooper now spoke up, "Heh. If you wanna talk about doing something without a purpose, then it's pretty fitting we're standing in a Rebel tagged junction. I mean, what do they hope to gain by overthrowing the Empire? A new republic? Anarchy?"

"Rebellion tagged? What's that mean? Is that what that marking is?"

"You don't know about the Rebellion? Seriously? Have you been living under a rock?" The woman now interjected.

I laughed, "Sort of! I have a lot of reading material without a lot of updates on the data."

"Well, let me just tell you then kid. I don't know where you came from or where you're going, but you won't get much farther without hearing about some of these organizations exploits against the Empire. Supply run bombings. Blockade jumping. Theft. Murder. You name it and they've done it. I've heard some of the boys saying it's the Jedi's revenge, especially with those two I heard about in the Outer Rim and this other guy named Luke…"

An angry accent suddenly cut across the alley way.

"Vis! Where have you been!? We've been looking all over for you!" I watched as Cenden suddenly loomed between me and the troopers, "Sorry, officers, my… niece, wanders off quite often. Come on, let's go!" He began to usher me away from the two somewhat confused troopers.

"Wait! No! They were just about to tell me about a Jed-" Before the word could escape my mouth, Cenden roughly grabbed my arm and began to drag me by it, "Ouch! Stop that!"

"Sir! I'm going to have to ask you to unhand her and lets see some identification!" The female trooper commanded.

Cenden free hand clicked, revealing his blaster now aimed at the trooper.

The two troopers now aimed their weapons. Everyone's hearts were suddenly racing.

"Wait, wait, wait!" I held up my hands and walked in between the three. I looked over at the troopers, "It's ok! He's ok! My uncle just has… Clone Wars, PTSD?" I smiled over at them and then at Cenden. "No one needs to shoot anyone. I just wandered off while we were armor shopping for me!"

There was a pause before Cenden quickly put his blaster down, and I saw the strangest smile go across his face. "I'm s-so sorry officers. It's a nervous twitch at this point, I was at war f-for a long time."

I almost gasped with delight. Cenden was playing pretend.

The two troopers looked over at each other still pointed and ready. The first trooper motioned with her blaster towards the tagging on the wall, "Have an alibi for where you and the girl where about 25 parsecs ago? This "mural" isn't finished, come back to finish the job?"

"N-no, we didn't make that, nor do we know anyone who did. We were at the armor shop down the street for the past half hour, who can ask the s-shopkeeper if you like?" Cenden continued to stutter, seemingly nervous.

Again, the two troopers looked at eachother, but this time they gave a nod and lowered their weapons. "Alright, we'll let you off with a warning, we should have you arrested for pulling a gun on two officers of the law, but we have better things to be doing. Let's see some identification."

"O-oh ok. Of course." Cenden pulled holo device out of his pocket and presented the image to the troopers.

"Cenden Sondron. Male. Homeworld: Ambria. Huh, never been. Is it nice where you're from?"

"Can't say I've been back in a while." Cenden said, his voice somewhat returning for a moment to it's gruff state.

"Right, and the girl?"

"I-I'm so sorry, her aunt would be the one to be carrying that with her. She's back at the ship sadly, so," Cenden glanced over at me before he waved his hand in front of their faces. "You don't need to see her identification."

I felt the Force suddenly compulse and smother their minds. It felt disgusting to me, like a hiccup in their thoughts as they went limp before regaining consciousness; only for such a brief moment it was almost unseeable.

"We… Don't need to see her identification." The both said in unison.

"Alright, thank you." Cenden grumbled with a dignified turn on his heels, "Vis, let's go."

I waited in place for a moment, they still felt hazy inside. Reaching out my hands, I took one of each of their own hands and shook them.

"It was so nice to meet you both." With that the clouds suddenly snapped back into place and they looked around, aware again. "What were your names again?" I asked the two as they became suddenly aware of me shaking their hands.

"Uuuhhh, um, right. I'm Lyel and this is my partner Niu. You were Vis… Right?" The female trooper named Lyel answered, coming out of the dream.

"That's right! And it was really nice running into you guys… We have to keep looking for armor now but I still do really like the theme of yours. Even if they're all identical on the outside."

Lyel laughed as she bent her head a bit to remove her helmet, revealing the soft, slanted eyes and straight black hair underneath, "So you're looking for armor? We might have a suggestion."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"So then if I reroute the system from the ship through a cable in the original data table I should be able to sync the systems to the new one… And that's considering if the original system is coming from the temple and if it's not I'll have to have a back-up…"

Soron watched Nek muttering to himself as they sat on the slowly emptying and refilling transport waiting for their next stop. The Devaronian had the goggles he normally wore for detailed repair placed over his eyes as he buried his face in the blue prints he'd drawn up for the installed data table.

From the corner of the page, Soron could also make out a long, long list of material. Half of the parts he'd never even heard of, and for a moment wondered if the engineer truly knew how to build this thing.

' _Regardless of if he knows what he's doing, this is going to cost us a fortune… And we don't truly know what the pay off will be. Beebs better have some decent work for us next time we see her.'_ Soron thought as a pang of anxiety shot his stomach. ' _What are we doing? Why do I care? I'm just going to blindly listen to some child we found and a weird dream I had probably based on severe head injury?'_

Doubt began to caress his mind and Soron ran a hand over his face and snout almost in an effort to brush it off.

"Something on your mind?" Nek said, not even looking up from his blueprint.

"Just… general panic considering our money situation and disposition."

Nek now looked over, his slanted yellow eyes made fish bowled under his work goggles. "Is this about the crystal screening on the list? I can try and find another brand I just don't want cracking from any outside impacts…"

"No, no. We're getting what you need. It's just, don't you find any of this a little odd?"

"Captain, all of this is odd to me. But what about this is odd to you?"

Soron thought for a moment and tried to put it into words. Lowering his voice a bit, he leaned in, "I am a full grown adult whose lifelong career had been much less than legal. I run a crew of individuals willing to work outside any law there is under often the direction of a crime boss and now we're here on a posher than average trading planet under the direction of a force we can't see and a child. Doesn't this feel like a wild goose chase at all to you?"

Nek was silent for a long while before shrugging, hesitantly looking now over his blueprints with an air of fear. "I don't know… It feels like a real adventure. Although we kind of go on adventures a lot. But this was what you wanted right? Hiring Cenden into the crew, looking for that holocron, finding that temple… This was the answers you were looking for right?"

Soron folded his arms across his body, "I don't know what I was looking for. And I still don't know what I'm looking for. But I started this operation, I made a promise, I intend to finish this work."

"...What promise?"

Soron looked over, a little shocked he'd let something slip. The transport rocked a little as the doors closed and the ship again took off speeding. Soron sighed.

"This isn't exactly how I intended telling a bit of this story considering how long this crew has been together… Actually I think only Chol knows about this so maybe be a bit discrete about what I'm going to tell you?"

Nek nodded.

Soron's leaned in again, "Now you're all well aware this, but I'm considered an outcast of my clan on my home planet for numerous reasons. Doesn't mean I can't go back to that planet… A world's a big place. But, I'm looking for someone out here."

"Girlfriend?" Nek suddenly jumped in.

"No. But I appreciate the participation." There was a pause, "I'm looking for my younger sister."

"Is she banished too?"

"No, not technically. She's just… a long time ago I went back home and… she was gone. And I know I take credit for being the 'leader', for wanting to find artifacts and knowledge that will give the universe some meaning. But it all started with her. She was…" Soron stopped himself and looked around, "She was like Cenden and Vis."

Nek gasped with a hissed whisper, "Really!?"

"Yes really. When we were younger, _the Jedi_ " Soron mouthed, "Actually came to take her into their instruction. Unfortunately for us, our clan has a strict, stupid, and closed minded policy, much like the rest of my species. Nobody comes in and nobody leaves our world. So despite her talents, she was left without a teacher. But she had this beautiful way at looking at the galaxy and I'd be lying if I said she wasn't a realist, but one of the most hopeful realists I'd ever known. She always said… there was some bigger picture to the galaxy that most couldn't understand. Not just the light side and the dark side. Not just good versus evil. It was a reality beyond heroics, that the galaxy just _is_. Together, we made journeys off world. That's how we met Chol actually. He smuggled us out of one of the only trading ports on our planets numerous times and together we searched for artifacts, _Jedi knowledge,"_ He mouthed again, "Anything we could find for her to keep learning. And the last time I saw her, in a conversation only important in hindsight, I promised I wouldn't stop searching for answers. I wanted to learn as much as she did at this point, we were, unstoppable."

"Why didn't she just go to Coruscant?"

"What?"

"If you guys had snuck out, why didn't she go and join the _Jedi_ council then?" Nek also mouthing the forbidden word.

"I asked her the same thing, multiple times actually. She always said she was too old now, but I could always tell there was something she wasn't telling me… Or maybe something she couldn't explain. It seems it might've been for the best for her to be on the outside in the end."

"Might've been?" Nek questioned.

"To be honest, when she disappeared, I assumed she might've gone and joined them finally. She had been doing a lot of research, meditating, all that stuff. I thought maybe in my temporary absence she finally just abandoned her feelings and left. But then… the Clone Wars ended how it did… If she is truly alive she's not with them."

"Where could she be then?"

"She could be anywhere. But I assumed continuing her work, following the trail of knowledge and artifacts, I figured if I've found it she probably has too. In all honesty, I'm doing this for myself as much as for her. I want to understand _the Force_ like she did, this whole galaxy is so pointless. There has to be more."

Nek shrugged, "Well that's why I joined. Regardless of who came up with the idea, I like the idea of finding purpose. Whether it's adventure, or a truth just to us, or a truth just common to life, I'd like to learn what it is. And considering what you've just said, and the strange path we've found ourselves on, I'd say this is anything but a waste of time." He said as he motioned with his blueprints.

Soron nodded and smiled before leaning back in his seat, "Well that's reassuring when you put it like that… It's funny, Vis actually reminds me so much of her. Their abilities are different, but they're both so lively and curious. I hope those three are getting along okay on their 'mission'."


	15. Chapter 11: HighJinx

Disclaimer: We ( zazabelle and draksisreborn) own nothing but our OCs. Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. Please review and enjoy this latest installment.

Rating: T

Footsteps fell fewer and fewer over the city streets as the day began to wind to a close. The sun hung low in the sky and daytime shoppers were slowly being replaced with those wearily searching out their homes among the sky-scraping apartment buildings that towered across the whole city.

By this time Cenden, Lerti, and Vis had made their way to the outskirts of town. The skyscrapers and steady streams of hovercar traffic had grown to a quiet hum in the distance, the buildings now looming over them far more squat, nevertheless far more intimidating in the near darkness.

Vis noticed Cenden and Lerti had their hands near the holsters of their blasters, and as she looked around the steadily slumming surroundings, she could understand why. As the three walked, Cenden sensed a shadow in the corner of an alleyway. He merely glanced over and gave a look to what almost looked to be an empty space with a glare that shot "don't even try". A figure in the shadow seemed to recoil a bit before slinking off further into the darkness.

From in between the two in their marching line, Vis whispered, "This place feels so… desperately sad."

"It is. That's also why everyone's so 'desperately' violent." Lerti said as she stepped over what she assumed to be an old blood stain, "It's better if you just get used to it."

"No. It's not that… It's just I haven't felt this in a long time."

Lerti gave her a quizzical look before Cenden quickly shot up a hand alerting those behind him to stop. "Here we are." Cenden gestured to the shockingly large building looming a few blocks ahead of them.

Cenden sighed, "I still say this is a horrible idea."

The enormous warehouse that now lay in front of them was not the only one out here in the outskirts of one of Tiss'sharl's main trade cities. Standing atop one of the slum houses, more warehouses could be seen dotting the edges of the city and jungle, but this one, in particular, left quite the impression.

The jungle of the planet's surface seemed to be creeping up on this building, several monument sized trees sat atop the establishment.

"Why?" Vis asked as she gazed up at the trees sitting atop the building.

"Vhy? Because we were given this info by _stormtroopers_." Cenden hissing the last word quieter as he glanced back at the alley they'd just passed by.

"I agree with the old man. The Empire may not be able to prove that these people are smuggling the materials that are in this warehouse, but it's too odd that they'd just tell us about it. We might be being used to set this place up." Lerti said as she stepped up with her hands on her blasters.

"I mean, I don't want to seem naive but I can be very convincing," Vis stated, her voice completely serious.

"Yes, we know," Cenden said.

"We don't have to go here if you guys don't want to! If you think something's up then let's not! I only followed those guys before because it was the only clear path I've sensed the whole time being here! I thought it'd be important!"

Lerti sighed, "Unfortunately, going here actually make a weird kind of sense. Besides our mission from Soron, we actually do deal in a lot of smuggling operations and if we come across anyone we could "partner" with we're to attempt to do so immediately. Credits don't grow on trees."

"It sort of looks like they do in this place." Vis joked as she gestured to the trees on top of the warehouse, "I like this place, it looks like the temple!"

With a few more hesitant steps, the three began their move towards the warehouse. Their footfalls seemed to reverberate around the slums as most people seemed to wither back into their home like a protective shell at the sight of the two heavily armed people strutting through their side of town.

The sounds of machinery met their ears the closer they came to the building. Coming over the bend and walking down the heavily rusted street of the outer Tiss'sharl city, Cenden, Lerti, and Vis were met with the bustling sight of the warehouse's exterior.

The air around them seemed to snap with the sound of barked orders from Tiss'sharl workers, while the area was filled with the constant droning noise pattern of work droids lifting and moving cargo onto transport vehicles. Nearby, the whirling of gears alerted the three to the speeding form of a train passing along a rail system heading back to and into the underworkings of the main city.

Cenden and Vis followed as Lerti confidently approached one of the lizard-like people who seemed to be one of the people in charge.

"Evening." Lerti began.

"Evening and what do you want?" The Tiss'sharl said barely looking away from the droid he was gesturing towards a shipment container.

"We're looking to buy some armor."

"What? The shops in town all closed? Look, this is a private business so unless you have a pass to be here I need you all to leave."

"We sponsor and assist many private businesses, and we're in the market for some armor today but we could be in the market for more." Lerti's words rang with double meaning.

The Tiss'sharl frowned a bit. Looking past Lerti over towards Cenden and Vis, he gave a raised look before giving a shrug.

"Go inside, walk to the back wall and through it. Hold onto these or you'll be electrocuted." The Tiss'sharl handed Lerti three small metal orbs which she turned and passed over to the other two.

"Well, that was suspiciously easy." Lerti pointed out as they entered the warehouse.

Around them stacked up on metal rungs, cargo shipment containers rose like pillars to the ceiling. The atmosphere was dark and dimly lit. The smell of rust permeated the air about them as they walked deeper into the cargo maze.

"It was far too easy and I'm starting to think we should've left Vis outside," Cenden added.

"If something bad's going to happen I'd probably get caught up in it even if I was outside," Vis concluded, looking wide-eyed in what looked to be curious fear. Her freckles a mix of purple and red.

"Have your weapons ready," Lerti commented as she went to grab her blaster.

"No." The click of a blaster was complemented with a new voice attached. "Have your weapons sheathed."

Lerti and Cenden in one movement cocked their blasters and turned to face the voice.

A Dug woman stood in an underwhelming stature a few meters away from them, but her height was made up for in the enormous rotary blaster she held in her strangely muscular legs.

She smiled.

"I'm not going to shoot you if you don't shoot me. But we have to come to an agreement first." She as she adjusted the blaster in her grip. "If you're here to shop. Then you have to make a deal with Jinx. And if you wanna make a deal with the boss, you need to give me some reassurance you're not going to either kill him or report to the Empire what you've seen here."

"Telling the Empire is the last thing we would do." Lerti half-laughed. "They'd throw us into some cell no matter what we did, even if we delivered the Rebellion to them on a silver platter."

"Don't be so smiley Mandalorian. I find a smiling face to be a guilty one."

"I'm guessing you don't get many dates that way."

"How do you go from being an expert negotiator to this, without being shot?" Cenden suddenly intervened, "We're associates of Beebs Dovrees of Nar'Shadda. She doesn't like her workers to pass up an opportunity to make friends."

"And you…" The Dug tilted her head to see Vis smiling awkwardly from behind the two, "Are her workers? What's with the kid? Are you looking to sell her?"

Vis took a step back.

"Slaves aren't just for work, and I know a buyer that would pay a pretty credit to get to look at the markings on that one's face. A nice addition to the collection."

Lerti put a hand across where Vis stood, "Not for sale. We're just looking to buy armor for this one and it's become a business opportunity. So what do you say? May we shop for what we're looking for?"

The Dug looked them over again, shifting her weight on her arms to lower the blaster held in her legs. Narrowing her eyes at the three of them, she gave a nod. Walking forward on her arms, their group parted to let her through. Walking towards the blank wall behind them, the small metal orb she wore as a necklace began to glow in a strange red light, like a small shield encompassing the item. As her small form met the wall, she disappeared into it.

"Whoa! That was so cool!" Vis spouted off as she immediately ran for the wall. Standing at the seemingly solid object, Vis ran her hand over the front and watched the orb in her hand glow. "Think they can see us on the other side!? Is it like a shield generator or is it more of a hologram? Oh! Maybe it's a combo of both!"

She splashed her hand through the illusion once like she was hitting the surface of water. "That feels so weird." She laughed.

"Please just walk through it already," Cenden said as he stepped through the boundary, Lerti, and Vis closely following.

As they walked through, they were met with the clicking of what sounded like two dozen firearms. Now within the illusion, the trio could see that it wasn't just the back wall that was an illusion, it was the whole warehouse. Behind them stood snipers on hidden platforms that looked to run throughout the majority of the ceiling, the building's walls woven with the false image of a high ceiling.

In front of them stood what looked to be a bevy of hired guards and bounty hunters called over to guard the Tiss'shar who now sat before them.

The creature wore a fine suit like the kind often worn by Senate members on Coruscant. His lizard-like appearance was a deep gray, and the crop of dark feathers on his head was slicked back to match the regal style. The deep yellow eyes watched them and his mouth opened in a mixture of smile and hiss.

" _My guide… I feel like a warning might've been nice about this… A bigger warning than that I mean."_ Cenden heard Vis whispering to herself.

"Welcome to my shop 'workers of Beebs'." He spoke in a deep throaty accent. The hissing causing the sound to almost come out a tentative whisper. He laughed a bit, "I like you three. An odd group is always welcome here but know this," As if that wasn't enough, he took out a blaster pistol from underneath the desk and fired a shot at their feet.

Vis jumped halfway back through the wall. The Tiss'shar they assumed to be Jinx looked amused.

"We will not hesitate to kill you if you try to steal anything. You will not find what I am selling anywhere along the black market this side of the Rim because I OWN the black market from here to Kessel. You pay what you owe me, or you pay with your lives. I will be happy to start trade with this Beebs, been looking to expand towards the Outer Rim anyway." With that, he motioned with his blaster two the second "blank wall" behind him. "Now go."

The three walked past the guards that parted ways for them. Among them smiled the Dug woman they'd just encountered. She gave a wave as they passed through the wall.

"Guys… Is buying armor _really_ this important? I feel like this is stupid." Vis said as the illusion parted and they were met with an enormous outdoor market.

The aisles of shelves seemed to journey up towards the sky. The crater this was all housed in seemed to be a covering over the top with the same illusion the whole foundation of this warehouse was based on. The red shield from within here like a one-way mirror to the sky, probably to watch for incoming ships or surveillance. Droids flew up and along shelves, grabbing and stocking items as requested by the few patrons located below.

"This, Vis, is what's called stupid awesome," Lerti said with a smug smile.

In front of them lay a series of staircases that descended into the true warehouse crater below. As they walked, Vis' steps began to speed up the further they went down. Her freckles adjusting to a bright green as she nearly tripped over the long trench coat trailing behind her.

"I take it back! There are still way too many guns here but this place is a scavenger's dream! I want to touch everything!" Vis's eyes shone like stars as she started darting between different shelves and displays.

"Remember those guns because if you pocket anything they WILL SHOOT YOU!" Cenden yelled as Vis reached the ground and headed off in a sprint down the nearest aisle.

"Why wouldn't we just shoot back!?" Vis retorted.

The environment was familiar to the young girl and for the first time on her trip to a new world, she felt comfortable. Among the maze of aisles and shelves, objects reached out and called out to be heard, their stories still lying within. Less audible than the holocrons, but tainted with energy nonetheless. They desired to be used again as they were purposed to be and connected to futures, with a singular past, and it was exuberating to feel so many little pieces connecting to some larger story… And there was something else.

' _It sounds like… singing?'_ Vis thought as she spun slowly in place, weighing her options as to which direction to go first.

A hand grabbed her arm.

Vis gasped as she spun to see Cenden looking sternly behind her. "Don't run off. Our presence here is based on us buying something. We're getting you armor and we're leaving."

"Oh c'mon Cenden! You know that's not how this is going to go! Also, something's singing around here and I want to find it." Vis proclaimed jauntily as she turned to leave, her arm still firmly held in place by Cenden.

"No. Armor. Now." Cenden said as he turned and began dragging her away. Vis fell into line and Lerti joined them soon after.

"So, I'm guessing you never had a, um… student before?" Lerti asked as her eyes scanned the rows of assorted weapons and ammo.

"No. _Temple_ guards aren't normally assigned _Padawans_ as our job was more protecting than fighting." The old Jedi explained as he whispered keywords. Glancing around to make sure no one was listening he continued with a bit of a smile, "Also, let's just say if I had been a teacher I would've given Master Skywalker a run for his money in terms of reckless teaching methods."

"Wait. You mean that guy helping lead the Rebellion?"

"Who?"

"Nevermind."

Rounding the corner, the group came to the welcomed sight of an armor gallery. The same open-air aisles shaped the room into another stretching maze of sorts. Of all the black marketplaces Cenden and Lerti had ever seen, this was the by far the most open about its goods. Nothing was hidden and every armor piece was on display. There seemed to be pieces salvaged from every century of war in the galaxy from every race and culture in existence.

On the raised platforms leading customers to the upper shelving units, a dark-colored Wookie saw them approach and came marching down the metallic steps. The closer the alien got the more it dawned on Cenden that this was the same Wookie they'd seen on the transport ride here… The one Vis had temporarily stolen the badge from.

He glanced down at Vis who winked at Cenden teasingly, looking like she was about to start laughing.

Cenden listened as the Wookie explained through a series of guttural screams and barks that basically "He'd be watching them closely but let him know if they needed anything" before he trudged back up the stairs, bowcaster in hand.

Putting her thumbs in her holster, Lerti pivoted on her heel to face the living color prism about to bolt to the shelves. "Alright kid. I wasn't into all this shopping before but this is pretty great so now I gotta say, this is very important. Armor is a reflection and protection of self, according to Mandalorian standards anyway. And as long as you're shopping with me, we're going by my standards, got it?"

Vis nodded rapidly. And with that, the three set off. The empty heads of the long-gone sat mounted on the walls, their disembodied pieces rising around them, like puppets longing to move once again.

In the end, they procured a hodgepodge of things from eras and cultures across the galaxy. Shoulder guards that looked to be a constructed from the chassis of an old droid, the color a worn to a silver sheen by time and the elements. The knee guards were of some Clonetrooper variant that has been modified and was now coppered colored and deeply scratched. The chest protector and boot coverings were the only new things in the pile, a strange clashing of Mandalorian and Stormtrooper styles. The mixture of armor was atrocious, bordering on heretical, by Lerti's standards; the adults had started with high hopes but soon realized it was a matter of simply finding anything small enough to fit Vis right now yet still big enough for her to grow into.

Plus, Cenden had nearly had a heart attack when he saw an old Clone helmet sitting on the shelf, the old man raising a strange mixture of flight and fight as he stumbled back a moment with an arm twitching to lash out. This took the fun shopping mood away in an instant and it quickly became a grab and bag event.

And after it was all said and done, Vis put her oversized coat back on and concealed half the armor underneath.

"What do you guys think!? This is so cool! I'm a real fighter now!" Vis said with a twirl and a punch.

"Well, now it'll be harder for you to get shot vhich'll be a good change of pace," Cenden replied. Vis stuck her tongue out at the remark.

After paying the burly Wookie, the three walked past the lines of shelves to head down the stairs. Cenden made it a point to avert his gaze from the Clonetrooper helmet, Lerti made the note to Cenden about the small number 5 carved onto the side of the headgear.

"Clones liked to give each other names back in the day. Like all that individuality mattered when they turned hive-mind." Cenden spat.

"...Cendy? Can we get the helmet? I like the story it has. It's sad and unfinished." Vis pleaded as she went and picked up the old head-gear.

Lerti tried without success to cover the spout of laughter that shot out of her mouth at Cenden's new nickname. Cenden's eyes seemed to come alight with rage and Vis didn't need to have her guide to help her feel the waves of anger coming off of the man.

She put it back.

They began their descent out. Silently.

And in the silence, Vis heard it again and stopped. Staring down one of the aisle, she felt a new question forming in her mind. Her guide began pushing her along the hallways, Cenden and Lerti realizing this time that she'd wandered off. They called for her to come back, but she couldn't really hear them. It was just her and the question now.

Walking up to what looked to be piles of clutter and scrap pieces, Vis gingerly began to pick up and feel each one. Stories forming in her mind, little ideas and purposes of pieces that were once whole. It wasn't until she moved nearly all of it aside that she found what the Force was wanting her to find here. A twin missing it's another half.

"Vis. We're leaving, Soron's probably waiting for us." Lerti told the girl as she watched her stare off into space.

Vis turned to face them now, an old key in her hand.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Soron and Nek were looking for three more components for the data table. They'd had been up and down the city sprawling city twice but the materials they were looking for just didn't seem to be on the world, or the kind of item that the Empire would allow to be in general circulation. Which meant they had to begin looking underground which was ineffective work on a planet dependent on trade with Imperial buyers and sellers, not to mention they couldn't explain to any potential informants what it was that they were making out of the parts required.

Soron grabbed the comlink from his belt, "Hey, Chol. How's the ship coming?"

The garbled voice of the Mon Calamari pilot came through, "Going as good as it can. We used up nearly the last of our funds getting fuel and extra medical supplies. Not much left for food, though BX did find some food bars in the new kid's sack of trinkets." Soron sighed as he heard a resounding crunch from the other end of the link.

"Can I ask why we're going through our new crew member's stuff?"

"I dunno know, BX said something about organizing." Another crunch gave static through the link. "What's your status? Have what we need to leave yet?"

"Unfortunately, no. Can't find the last of the supplies Nek needs to build this thing but we can at least get started."

"And the other three? Any word back from them yet?"

"Also a no. Haven't heard from them all day come to think of it, which is a bad sign. Now that we have enough fuel can we make it to Nar'Shaada? Beebs might have work or the last parts we need."

Soron heard Chol rustling around, presumably in the cockpit, "We should have just enough to make the jump and then some."

"Good! I'll contact Cenden and see where they are. I have a bad feeling all the sudden." Soron said as he looked around on the busy street corner he and Nek were occupying. If his bad feeling was correct, he didn't know if he wanted any eavesdroppers listening in.

Soron's clawed finger pushed down the button.

"Cenden. Come in."

Soron's ears perked up as he heard a gargled scream pushed through the static before the com went quiet. "Oh, that's a very bad sign," Soron whispered as he grabbed Nek, who was still buried in some blueprints and pulled him off into an alley.

"What's the problem?"

"Our crewmates are possibly in some trouble because of course they are. We can't have a peaceful trip anywhere."

"Life of the adventurers," Nek said as he began tinkering with his wrist link.

"Are you pirating the Imperial scanners?" Soron asked in a hopeful tone.

"Is that not what you pulled me over here to do?"

"No I was hoping you were just reading my mind."

Nek smiled and tuned into the Imperial's channel. Scanning through multiple sources one, in particular, caught Soron's interest. "Wait! Stop there."

" _Rebel activity confirmed Sector 557 warehouse. We're preparing to take the area. Their defenses still appear to be raised but no offensive has been displayed so the black market goods are still inside."_

Soron and Nek looked at each other. "Captain, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"That a black market warehouse about to be overrun by Imperials is a really bad place to bring a child?"

"Something like that. How do you know they're there?"

"It's a hunch and we need to go."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Cenden screamed as his whole body suddenly seized up.

He collapsed to the ground as red sparks flew off his body. Vis let out a silent gasp, her face similarly contorting in pain as she dropped the key she was holding that picked up the electricity dancing off of Cenden's body. Lerti flew to Cenden's side as the sparks died down. His gasping was heaved as he struggled to sit up.

" _Vhat._ The. _Heck!?"_ Cenden wheezed.

A whirring sound permeated around the three as the metallic orbs they'd been given to enter now flew around them. The micro-droids spoke in unison, " _No comlinks may be permitted in Jinx's domain. Thank you for your compliance."_

"Tiny death machines. Tiny death machines. Tiny death…" Vis began repeatedly saying as she rocked back and forth as the droid followed her every movement.

Cenden was still gasping for breath as his hand went to his belt to grab his blaster. The droid flew onto his chest and shocked him again. " _No weapons are permitted to be drawn or fired in Jinx's domain. Thank you for your compliance."_

"I. Didn't. Touch. My comlink!" Cenden argued to no one in particular.

Lerti's eyes went wide as she suddenly threw off her comlink, "Soron probably tried to contact us."

"I feel like they should've told us about that beforehand." Vis said as she continued a staring contest with the droid. The droids responded, " _Where's the fun in that?"_

As the droids continued their hover, the two Force-sensitives could sense each other's anger and fear. Vis could sense how bad Cenden wanted to lash out at the droids, the Force was already swirling about all of them ready to crush them from the inside. Cenden could sense Vis' connecting the little dots as her mind flooded the area, picking out each of the droids in the area.

"Ok...I guess that's why they let us keep our weapons." Lerti pointed out. "Let's get out of here, we paid for what we needed."

"No. We can't leave yet." Vis said as she picked up the key off the ground. "If they have just one of these things they may have more _stuff_ here!"

From on the ground Cenden looked at the key in Vis' hand, "Is that… A temple key?"

"Come on! Let's keep looking!" Vis answered.

Lerti and Cenden both yelled in frustration as Vis ran off. Again. The young child had been alone for so long that waiting for anything never occurred in her thoughts. Her guide swirled around so many objects throughout the underground market. Some, like the old Clone helmet, were painful memories, others were unfinished, useful. There was so much to be found here, like a new temple for the girl to explore.

"Ok, besides the things you want me to find, there's something happening. Right? Aaahhhhh how does anyone concentrate with so many people and paths everywhere!?" Vis spoke and listened as she ran forwards and backward along the aisles, testing paths and outcome feelings as she went. All the while the little droid followed close over her shoulder, observing.

"They have to have holocron or lightsabers here. If they have temple guard keys then they have to have those." Vis breathed to herself as she slowed down from her sprint and looked back.

She hadn't totally lost them. It wouldn't take Cenden too long to find her and as long as she didn't pocket anything, the little droid probably wouldn't zap her. She was safe for the time being… Maybe. There was something stirring in the Force, something was going to happen. But the girl couldn't sense what.

Waiting for the adults to catch up, Vis examined the key in her hand. It had a golden sheen to it, the flat of the key swirling in delicate little ripples of laced metal, "Who lost you, fella?" Vis asked the Force flowing through the key. "Ok, time to play pretend."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I felt my guide flowing through my being. I concentrated on them and on myself. The energy moved rapidly and the push and pull of my heartbeat in time with my thoughts.

Then I felt the weight in my hand. The key sat eagerly waiting to be what it once was.

"I'm… A temple guard. A powerful and loyal Jedi knight. I'm… Terrelian." In my mind, I felt my form become light and agile, ready to leap through the air, one of the beings closest feelings of flight. Combine with the Force's assistance, I may as well have been able to fly.

And that's why my muscles felt cramped standing here. Endless time spent guarding nothing. No one would be crazy enough to attack a Jedi temple, no one. But this is where I'd been assigned to spend the rest of my life. Standing at wait for an attack that would never come. I hadn't been good enough to become a Jedi Knight, so here I'd stand. Forever.

My hand ran over the keys on my belt.

It felt wrong that I'd stand here and guard what I may never be allowed to see, especially when I had the keys.

I opened my eyes as my hand rose up. Walking forwards, I shifted my weight trying to walk like what I imagined a Terrelian Jango Jumper would walk like. The key pulled me forward to what it desired to unlock and I followed. I heard Cenden and Lerti come up behind me, they said something but I sort of tuned them out. I swore I could hear Cenden mumbling, "Oh great." under his breath.

Surprisingly, they both followed. Maybe they were just as curious as I was?

Making our way to the very back of the warehouse, the key drew us to a shelf in the massive warehouse… Covered in lightsabers.

I wanted to be excited, I really did… But the waves of pain coming off the metallic casings was too much. Each one was so unique in its design, it was like looking at a grave on display. I could feel my guide run up and caress the weapons as if I was being introduced to old friends. The sadness reflecting off Cenden was bringing tears to my eyes, but my hand was still pulled forward and placed on one of the laser sword hilts.

They were all lined up in rows on display cases like toothbrushes. It was so morbidly normal.

The one the key had landed on was more broken than the one I'd found back at my temple home. But it was undoubtedly familiar, it was a temple guard hilt. Well, half of one anyway. Like Cenden's yellow-bladed saber, this one was cut straight down the middle but not as cleanly as he had been. From what I could tell, Cenden did that himself. However it was damaged, he'd shaven it down to function on it own. But this one was all burned and cracked.

' _Will it explode if I turn it on?'_ I wondered.

"Guys, we have to take these along. At least this one anyway."

"We can't afford any of these. Why would we take that one anyway? It doesn't even have a crystal in it anymore." Cenden argued, he'd backed a considerable distance from the rack but he was right. There was no song coming from this one.

"So where'd it go?" I asked.

"Maybe… You just need the hilt?" I could hear the uncertainty in Lerti's voice. She wasn't sure of her words, but she was right! Maybe just knowing of the hilt's existence was important…

"Hold on! I have to write this down! Cenden! Go look for holocrons!" I said as I fished a piece of old parchment out of my holster as well as a piece of chalk and started writing and sketching each of the lightsabers. If we couldn't bring them with, then at least I could record them for later! Maybe there was data back at the temple in one of the holocrons about temple guards… Maybe I could meet this Terrelian.

The lightsabers took shape on the page as I gave a description and feeling. I was here my guide! My mission was being followed and directed! This is exactly how I'd always imagined it! Black markets, mystical callings, mysterious keys! All that was missing was a daring escape. It was too perfect.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Lerti honest to goodness had no idea what was going on.

And Cenden was sure as blazes not doing what Vis told him to, but the kid was still sitting there doodling…

' _Was this how Jedi did anything? Just connecting some random dots and going with it?'_ And Lerti had thought Soron's planning strategies were nuts.

As Lerti watched Cenden begin to slink off somewhere, Lerti decided to focus on the micro-droids following them around. This explains why they'd let them keep their weapons, and why it had been so easy for them to find this place. With these things following them… but what would stop them from blabbing once they left the vicinity? Was the illusion over this place really that good that Imperials wouldn't come for a closer look?

" _EEEEEOOOOOUUUUUUU."_

In near perfect harmony with her thought, an alarm went shrieking through the warehouse. The lights suddenly cut off and the eerie red glow of a backup generator switched on. The hands of the trio simultaneously flew to their ears under the impact of the noise.

Barely audible above the noise, Vis could be heard screaming a similar screech in return.

Shock suddenly flew through Lerti's body and she watched as Cenden and Vis went down with her. The micro-droids sending off a paralyzing shock. Barely audible through the pain, a voice on the intercom above could be heard,

" _Imperial attack underway. Merchandise being prepped for relocation. Thank you for shopping with us."_

"cccCCEEENNDDEENNN." Vis screeched.

Sounding off around the three paralyzed bodies, the selves suddenly came free from the ground as panels opened below the units and began a descent into the ground below, more panels now sliding up and over to stabilize the merchandise within.

Lerti felt what could only be described as a rush of pressure pass over her as she looked over to see Cenden struggling to straighten his hand before it plunged into a shaking fist.

Lerti's whole body went limp as the shock instantly left her with the feeling of released pressure and the sound of crushed metal. Still on the ground, Lerti watched as metal bits came falling to the ground, the droids crushed. Shaking herself up, her and Cenden stood to see Vis still laying face first on the ground.

"Hey. Are you out?" Lerti said as she poked Vis' shoulder with her foot.

After a moment, Vis' voice replied in a garbled whisper, "Yes. I'm unconscious and you need to move my body."

Her head lifted up off the ground as the sound of transport ships flew overhead, their shadow passing over the energy shield-illusion.

"It's a full-scale invasion! They _knew_ about zhis place! This is what we get from taking direction from STORMTROOPERS!" Cenden screamed as he and Lerti pulled out their blasters.

"Judging by the moving shelves, I'm guessing they find this place often! Let's go!" Lerti commanded and without a moment's hesitation, jumped into the opening panels and disappeared below the floor.

Vis, who was not even off the floor yet, watched as Cenden swiftly followed suit. "Okokokok… Adventure. Fun. Danger. LET'S DO THIS VIS." She yelled as she rolled along the floor. Grabbing hold of the sides of the drop as her body dangled in the empty space.

Below, both Lerti and Cenden had jumped down into, what was essentially, an underground rail cart. The shelves above were being automatically stationed into the train cars below, where they could be moved all across the city. And above, Cenden and Lerti could see Vis, silhouetted against the light above.

"KID! JUST LET GO AND SLIDE ALONG THE PANELS!" Lerti yelled.

"OK."  
Vis dropped straight down, her body too far from the shelves to go sliding.

"OH FOITO." Cenden cursed as the Force suddenly collated around the falling girl, becoming like woven nets being torn over and over again until her fall came to a crawl.

She landed wide-eyed, shaking, and nearly falling over. Her face coated in bright purple dots, "D-d-didn't r-r-realize there was a precursor to that instruction."

Above, the sound of blaster fire began as the creak of the train below their feet shook to a start. Lerti grabbed Vis by the wrist, "Come on, we need to hide. This train won't be unguarded or un-attacked."

"We should grab some of those lightsabers," Vis suggested as the shelf that had previously been stood upright came into a settled horizontal position in the train car.

Before either of them could comply, Vis hopped up on the glass panel. Rolling up her trench coat sleeve, the girl began pounding at the glass with her elbow. Cenden noticed the spinal ridges that ran across the girl's freckled face also ran across the back of her arms and hands, unseeable under the trench-coat sleeves. Whatever type of half-breed she was, the spinal ridges were tough enough to begin cracking the glass.

Lerti nodded in surprise and jumped up to finish the job with a sure-footed kick from her heel. Vis raided the newly formed glass hole for sabers, grabbing five or six and shoving them in various coat pockets before settling for one and throwing another towards Cenden.

She tried handing one to Lerti but the Mandalorian quickly declined, "No thanks kid, I'll stick to what I know for now." She waved her dual blasters a bit.

"Alright, here's the plan," Lerti told the two. "We don't want to be caught here, so at the first moment this thing is out of these tunnels, we make a jump for it. Don't get shot. Don't get caught." Lerti gave the commands.

"Guess it's good I have armor now." Vis shrugged as she proceeded to pull out a second saber.

With that, the train lurched forward, picking up speed as Lerti, Cenden, and Vis took positions of cover long the secured cargo. A feeling of panic began to take hold of Vis as she senses the growing tensions in the adults besides her, she knew she wasn't combat ready. Unlike how she was when she fought Cenden and Soron, this time was unpredictable and annoyingly unexpected. She'd have to make sure she took care of herself because they wouldn't be able to. She lived alone on a planet for 5 years on her own, she could survive anything.

A blaster bolt suddenly shot over her head. Vis screamed.

Cenden's eyes narrowed as he waited for a beat before untucking his body to shoot back. They heard a scream followed by silence as Cenden quickly took cover again.

The ground was zooming by them now and the sounds of the raid by the Empire above was growing distant. Yet, another blaster bolt flew past their hiding spot. Lerti cursed as she stood and shot off in the opposite direction.

Cenden signaled for them to listen while still on alert, "We don't know what kind of security this transport ship has but we can guess if they have the money for micro-droids then they have the money to defend this thing with more than low-grade thugs."

"If it's the Jinx guy's thugs then why are they shooting at us!? We just bought stuff from him!" Vis screamed as another blaster flew overhead.

"Because we're not supposed to be on here, and technically we stole from him now," Cenden explained as he stood and ended the source of the last blaster bolt.

"So we're just going to _kill_ everyone!?" Vis protested. The blaster fire was coming in more rapid succession now. Cenden and Lerti were firing back, but their position was severely given away.

"We're doing this in self-defense and in YOUR defense, Vis. For someone who wants to carry a laser sword so bad, you're awfully pacifistic!" Lerti said in reply. "We have to move. Now. There's more of them coming. More from the back than from the front, we'll make a person sandwich. Cenden covers our rear and I'll carve through the front. DO NOT let a bolt get to Vis or Soron will kill us."

"Yeah like we're already not in trouble," Cenden grumbled compliantly as they got into position to move. The familiar sound of a lightsaber ignited in an unfamiliar blue light.

The trio jumped up and Cenden immediately began deflecting blaster bolts from assailants hidden in the darkness of the tunnel behind them. Vis gapped in wonder at the sight. She'd practiced the movements, but with no one to shoot at her, she was sorely lacking any experience. The feeling through the Force of the heat being reflected with the light in the blade was mesmerizing like the bolt was bouncing between two mirrors.

Vis suddenly felt fear run through her legs and wonder what that was, just as she heard Lerti yell in anger. The dark Wookie loomed in front of them as his fist swung out to hit.

Lerti and Vis ducked. The Mandalorian sprung back up and launched her weight into the beast's stomach, knocking him onto his back with the force of the blow. Elbowing him in the throat, Lerti then began throwing a flurry of furious swings, mouthing off as she went, "You! Have! Terrible! Customer! Service! Here!"

The thing grabbed the scruff of her neck and threw her off. Lerti nearly went skidding over the train but caught herself on the side of the car.

Vis ignited one of the sabers as she felt the Force gathering within her, suddenly feeling the movement of something she'd used on Cenden and she lunged forward before the old Jedi had time to grab hold of her.

She spun with an exhilarated laugh, using the saber's blade like a blazing shield about her body, causing the Wookie to stumble back from the smaller figure rushing him. A blaster bolt suddenly shot through the Wookie's side and he fell to the ground.

"Ha! Got him!" Lerti cheered, still dangling off the side of the cart. A plume of smoke still rose off the blaster's tip as she climbed back on the cart. Cenden still stood his ground, defending again blaster bolts.

"Kid that was stupid," Cenden spoke with his head turned and focus.

"No, it was stupid awesome." Vis returned with a wild smile.

Lerti shook her head a bit before grabbing the back of Vis' coat, "Let's move it hotshot." Up ahead, light could be seen at the end of the train's path. "Our stop might be coming up."

Cenden gasped, "Lerti! Get down now!"

The train car exited the tunnel just as the three slid back out of sight. The darkened night sky was now illuminated by an Imperial shuttle hovering near the opening of the railway.

"Huh, I sorta forgot it was night." Vis mumbled from their hiding place on the side of the car's shelves.

The shuttle was not engaging the moving cars, it seemed to have orders to follow the train to its end destination. Lerti groaned in frustration, "Great! Now if we jump off they'll be watching!"

"Better than jumping off at the Imperial blockade waiting at the end!" Cenden argued as his comlink suddenly began beeping. Cenden sighed and pressed the button.

Soron's voice came huffing through, "Where, are, you guys?"

"Uuuhhhh we're on a transport…"

"Yeah, I guessed that, we watched it leave the warehouse. I mean WHERE ON THE BLASTED TRANSPORT ARE YOU!?"

"HI SORON! I FOUGHT A WOOKIE!" Vis shouted at the comlink.

The sound of the shuttle made a pass over their heads and began its descent on the train cars. "Soron, we're alive, be right back," Lerti spoke into Cenden's wrist before ending the call with a beep.

Below them, the city was speeding by, but the shuttle had kept itself on the outskirts of town. Buildings much like the ones that had been surrounding the warehouse sailed by in the darkness, flickering in and out of the shuttle's spotlight.

"Let's make a run for those buildings. Do you have your jetpack Lerti?" Cenden asked as he squared up to run.

Lerti twisted to show the jetpack sitting on her shoulders, "I got Vis. Let's go."

Cenden popped up and pushed himself over the corner of the shelf, running towards the other end of the train car as Imperial troopers poured out of the open transport hovering near the train. Seeing the moving target, blaster fire erupted from it's newest source at Cenden. The Jedi gathered the Force around him, the power flowing through his body as the energy plotted its course. Lerti and Vis followed closely behind. The Mandalorian gathered the kid by her underarms and watched as Cenden gunned it into the air, falling towards the nearest rooftop.

Lerti's jetpack sparked to life and she had to fight to keep Vis locked in her arms as the drag weighed on them. Vis shouted as her feet left the ground, blaster bolts littering the air around them.

Cenden rolled onto the roof, keeping the momentum going as he stood and kept going towards the next. He was looking now for signs of the blockade, for he didn't know how far the trooper's lines went back. They had to get out of the area before any of the Imperials got a good look at their faces. Pressing the comlink on his wrist, Cenden contacted Soron.

"Captain, we've evaded the train and are moving on the rooftops now. Where are you both?"

"We see the train, rendezvous at the entertainment district fifteen minutes from you due east." Came his captain's voice.

Nodding the Jedi took off running along the rooftops. Lerti and Vis sailing over him on jetpack. After several minutes of jumping and running, he felt a projectile impact his midsection. Pain erupted through him as the stun blast sent electricity searing through every nerve ending. He froze mid-air and fell to the ground, thudding hard against the unyielding metal of the street.

Pushing through his dimming vision, Cenden saw several figures clad in white moving above him.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Cenden was barely able to crane his neck to the left to see an Imperial officer in uniform with them. "This area is under blockaded restrictions due to criminal activity in the area, old timer. You do know you've broken about a dozen trespassing, disturbance, and hooliganism laws by now?" The officer sneered as he looked down at the old man while several stormtroopers patted him down. "And no transcripts after curfew? My, my, we'll have to do something about that!"

"Don't… You have anything better to… do?" Cenden was barely able to whisper.

With what little movement he could manage as he was dragged to a standing position by two stormtroopers, Cenden kicked the lightsaber near his foot into a side alley. Glancing up he saw Lerti and Vis stop to see him go down, and had landed on the rooftop he'd failed to reach. Cenden could sense Lerti's face contorting with concern from under her helmet as she drew a pistol.

"Anything to say for yourself?" The stormtrooper asked him. Still dazed and confused, he gave a subtle shake of his head towards Lerti, but stayed silent, hoping the Mandalorian had enough sense to stay out for now.

He reached deep within himself, focusing his energy on the Imperial officer in front of him. They didn't know he was involved in the train… yet. He could get out of this.

Unable to move his arms, he wove and pulled the connection of thoughts from the Imperial's mind into his own his a small shake of his head, "You don't need to take me in."

The Imperial, suddenly entranced, repeated Cenden's words "I don't need to ta-"

"HEY!" A familiar voice suddenly called from around a corner.

A blaster bolt ripped into the back of the Imperial's shoulder. The man crumbled to the ground out of shock to reveal Nek standing in the darkness nearly a block away, gun still smoking.

Rushing about in panic, the troopers gathered Cenden and the downed Imperial, the next in charge shouting orders while other began to return fire. Cenden pushed out of their arms only to be hit instantly with a stun ray.

On the roof, Lerti smothered Vis to the ground as the girl tried to jump down from the roof while Cenden was quickly placed into a nearby transport.

"STOP! There's an Imperial blockade a block away! If we make more of a scene, there won't be any escaping this!" Lerti hissed as she reached for her comlink, "Soron we NEED to get out of here NOW."

"I KNOW." Was Soron's only response as the sound of Nek being dragged away could be heard in the background. "Rendezvous at the ship now! _NEK FOR THE LOVE OF BANTHA SHUT UP-."_ The audio cut.

Lerti and Vis now watched as the trooper transport sped out of sight. The old Jedi locked inside.  
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Darkness swirled about a lithe figure cloaked in a dark hood. The figure had been watching with apathy as an incoming transmission blinked on. After several minutes of making the blinking wait, the figure knelt, as was accustomed in the Empire.

"You summoned me, _my lord_?"

"Yes. Something...unusual has emerged in the Force."

"I felt it as well my lord. Perhaps another Jedi emerging from hiding?"

"No. This is no Jedi."

"Bridger? Or…" The voice paused. "The Padawan?"

"No. This is an unknown power… A child of the Force. An opportunity."

"And what shall you do about it?"

" _You_ will find the source, and capture them. They could become an invaluable tool for the Empire and an opportunity to continue rebuilding your division's strength. Your mission must continue on despite the lack of competency your assassins have shown."

"With all due respect, Darth, shouldn't our remaining efforts be on capturing the acclaimed Jedi Master Lu-"

"Do not test my authority. You know your place and you will trust the Emperor has everything under control."

A frustrated sigh came from the Inquisitor. "I'll send Aemay, this will be a test for her."

"You deem yourself incapable of doing a simple task, Ninth Sister?"

"No, I wish to determine whether it was foolish to ascend her so soon."

"Do not speak on matters you do not understand. You are dismissed."

"As you wish my lord."

The transmission ended.


	16. Chapter 12: Bail and Barter

Disclaimer: We ( zazabelle and draksisreborn) own nothing but our OCs. Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. Please review and enjoy this latest installment.

Rating: T

Deafening, was the sound of silence in the transport making its way back to the shipyards. It was deafening compared to the sound of battle still ringing in Lerti and Vis' ears.

The same transport had only hours before had carried three of Soron's crew members into town. Now only two sat in the silence.

Vis sat curled up in a ball in her seat, her breaths coming out in quick little bursts. She wasn't crying so much as she was hyperventilating. Every part of her was aching with guilt. How had it all happened to fast? Was this what she really wanted? Was this what her guide really wanted for her?

Lerti sat watching her, her mind somewhere else, and her hands still twitching to blast every last one of the stormtroopers they'd watched drag Cenden away.

Soron and Nek had split up and were taking separate routes back to the shipyard. Not knowing how much the stormtroopers had seen of them, they decided it was best to go opposite directions to meet at the same point.

With this in mind, Lerti's leg began bouncing anxiously with the rushing of her thoughts. With the blockade still up, the transport was taking twice as long to weave its way around the perimeter established to nab the black market Tiss'shar called Jinx. Just enough time for Soron to make his way back to the ship before they would reach it, but not enough time for Soron to have calmed down by then.

Lerti knew this was bad. She knew she'd get a good verbal pummelling from their captain regarding their decision-making skills. But there was something about him waiting there for them like they were walking into the nest of a beast they knew was going to eat them alive. At least if they could've gotten there first it would feel like they had some element of advantage…

"Hey, Lerti?" Vis whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Are we going to have to leave Cenden in jail because of me?"

"No." Lerti retorted.

Vis seemed to think over Lerti's 'No.' before responding, "...Okay."

The rest of the trip went on in that same silence filled with echoes of blasters and the quiet buzz of adrenaline.

Lerti and Vis exited the transport. Lerti trying to steer them clear of any troopers who might be looking to ask for identification or travel papers. The last thing they needed was for their illegal off-worlder, who was filled to the brim with old lightsabers, to be searched. As soon as that hurdle was cleared, Lerti and Vis made their approach to the ship, and as expected, Soron stood there waiting for them. His face dark with fury.

"I… Am not. Going to draw. _Any_ more attention to us than _you_ three already have. So before I yell at you for everything you assume I am going to yell at you for. Get. In. The. Ship." Soron fumed as he turned to walk up the _Raving Titan_ 's gangplank.

Vis broke into a run, trailing behind him. Lerti followed at a quick pace.

Once inside, Soron slammed his fist onto the control panel to raise the platform and his eyes flew to Lerti.

" _WHAT in THE GALAXY were you THINKING!?"_ Soron suddenly spewed.

"Soron! I know this is bad!" Lerti began.

" _Bad?"_ Soron growled through clenched teeth.

"Fine! Let's bump it up to a really bad! But! We were following orders! We got intel about another informant on Tiss'sharl and we went with it!"

"No. No, no. You brought a _child_ to a black market warehouse _THAT WAS RAIDED_ and if Cenden wasn't arrested I'd be screaming at him too! But _NOW_ our _JEDI KNIGHT_ IS IN THE HANDS _OF THE IMPERIALS_!"

"AH! Yes! I know this is really REALLY bad! I honestly don't know what happened! One moment we were shopping and the next moment we were being shot at! Everything just kept moving from one thing to the next!" Lerti's normally calm voice began to escalate into a panicked ramble.

"VIS COULD'VE BEEN KILLED! YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED! WE DON'T-"

"-WANT TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE EMPIRE I KNOW BUT-"

Soron and Lerti were now, not so much yelling at each other, but through each other. Their panic bouncing off the anger that had slid into the background of the argument. Chol, BX, Nek, and Vis stood off to the side.

Two observed silently, one wrung their hands and another began shaking before her hands flew to her ears as she crouched into a ball on the ground.

"STOP! TOO LOUD! IT WAS OUR FAULT!" Vis bellowed.

Soron and Lerti cut to silence and looked over at the child. Soron's anger began melting into what looked like guilt, he blinked down at Vis, almost as if he'd forgotten she had been there.

Vis' own eyes suddenly blinked open, stealing a glance up at the two, almost testing to see if there was still too many loud noises. At finding things quiet, Vis uncurled from the floor.

"It was my fault… Well, our fault. I think it was because of these." Vis explained as she opened her trenchcoat pockets and began to dispense lightsaber after lightsaber arranging them one after the other onto the floor.

"WHOA!" Chol exclaimed, the Mon Calamari quickly donned an alertness and took several steps back. "Kid! Where'd you get those!?"

Vis reached down and picked up one that was still mostly intact and began examining it, "I found them in the black marketplace along with this temple guard key," Vis' hand fished the old key from her pocket, "I'm not sure why Cenden got captured, but I'm pretty sure these are important to our mission!"

"What _is_ our mission again?" Nek interjected, as he gnawed at one of his taloned fingers.

"We're figuring it out," Vis mumbled as she quickly twisted the lightsaber, the chamber half unlocking, half snapping apart, and a lone blue kyber crystal came tumbling out. "But this whole day probably has something to do with these."

Vis held the kyber crystal out for those crew around her to examine. It glowed with a pale blue light, and Vis' freckles shifted to match.

Everyone was quiet in the blue glow until Soron calmly took a breath, his whole body slumped forward a little.

He looked quite old at that moment. His clawed hand raised to pinch the bridge of his nose as his ears gave several frustrated twitches.

"Soron… I am sorry. It wasn't our place to put Vis in the situation we did." Lerti apologized as she slumped against the wall. It had been a long day.

Soron started quietly laughing to himself.

"I should know better than anyone here how one thing can spiral straight into insanity. I'm just glad my crew is safe… ish." Soron looked at the girl holding the bit of kyber and held out his hand. "I've seen many lightsabers in my time, but I guess I never really thought to look that closely at what was powering them. This is what's so important Vis?"

Vis blinked at him a few times before placing the crystal in his open hand. "If you listen, you can hear it singing."

"Singing swords…" He held the crystal aloft with a contemplative smile.

The blue glow had begun fading in his hands, but if anyone were to looking close enough, they could see the spark still left reflected in his eyes.

With a few nods, almost as if he'd come to an agreement with himself, he handed the crystal back to Vis, and turned to Lerti. With a clap on her shoulder, he spoke, "Let's get Cenden back."

Lerti's deep frown quickly switched to a smug smile, and a laugh escaped her lips. "But let's leave the fighting to anyone but Vis this time."

"Hey! I fought AWESOME!" Vis protested.

The others laughed.

With that, Soron ordered everyone to the debriefing room.

Well, "debriefing room" was what Soron was calling it today, but most of the time it was the galley. The ship's spacial capacity didn't allow the crew to have a formal mission debriefing room, so it was either this or BX's closet room, and everyone had long ago agreed that planning smuggling routes and near death missions were more fun with snacks.

Their newest crew member was certainly in agreement with that statement, as everyone piled into the "debriefing room", Nek showed Vis where he stashed sweet-sand cookies.

"BX," Soron called the droid to attention, "Pull up any information you have on the Imperial complex in the main province of Tiss'sharl. A map if we have one."

BX's eyes blinked to life and the city of Tiss'sharl now lay before them. The droid head gave a tilt and the center of the city expanded to reveal the Imperial complex installed near the center of the city.

"Whoa…" Vis whispered with her mouth full of cookie. A clamoring could be heard behind BX as the girl climbed up onto the counter behind the droid.

The holo-map gave a quick jolt and everyone's eyes glanced up to see Vis now leaning her whole body on the droid attempting to either look directly into the blue beams emitting from his eyes or to make shadow puppets over the cityscape, and only the Force could tell for certain.

"So here's the deal." Soron began with a clap, "This is the Imperial building here. But any basic map could tell you that; we only have the map of basic schematics of the building and it's severely outdated. We are extremely… no, pitifully low on ammo, fuel, credits, just everything in general. If we are really going to pull this off and get Cenden out of there without us getting captured or _dead,_ we're going to need some… Creative thinking. And that's an understatement. So, any ideas?"

Everyone was quiet as they weighed the odds. After nearly two full minutes of silence, the odds were added. And after 5 more minutes of half ideas, half-thoughts, and the words 'We could… maybe… and what if,' thrown about it seems the odds were perfectly evened out.

"We could use explosives?"

"Too messy, too risky."

"Maybe infiltrate and extract?"

"Possibly, but we'd have to have a nearly flawless getaway."

"What if we just come back later when we have more resources?"

"They could ship him out and that makes rescue even harder."

The five crew members went back and forth with each other, and each plan just came up with more complications.

That's when Vis crawled down from the counter and under the hologram. Lifting her hand through the image she sent her fingers walking down the city lanes straight up to the Imperial building where her little hand man proceeded to pass right on through.

"Hmmmmm, hey guys?" Vis mumbled as she lay on the floor, now staring up at the floating city, her hand running gently through the bottom of the map's plan.

No one heard her so BX responded, "Yes tiny thing glitching my holo-program?"

With BX's blunt response, the group quieted for a moment and acknowledged the voice below the hologram.

"I don't know much about how jail stuff works and everything, but... can't we just, bail him out?"

The crew went silent.

"Just… bail him out!? Ha! Kid, that's not how it works!" Lerti laughed.

"I know the Empire's evil and stuff, but I've read a lot of stories and doesn't he get his one holo-message call or something? I don't know how much bail costs, but it sounds kinda easier than trying to break him out."

The group of mercenary fighters again went quiet.

"I mean! If you guys _wanna_ fight and blow stuff up, I'm down for that! I don't know how to do that but I'm willing to learn!" Vis rambling as she rolled out from under the hologram and went over for more cookies, "I kinda forgot cookies existed, could never find any in the old food rations at the temple…"

She went silent as Soron moved in on the map, his hand stroking the fur under his chin. His hand went to his comlink as he pulled up what appeared to be the crew's overall funds, what was left over anyway. He frowned discerningly.

"You know what… I don't know why we wouldn't do that." Soron agreed, with voice cut with a 'matter-of-fact' tone.

Lerti's face scrunched into disbelief, "Are you serious? Wouldn't they just arrest us the moment we walk in there?"

"Not if they didn't recognize us." Soron countered, glancing at Chol.

"We don't know how much they saw of us," Lerti argued back, "We might not even get a few steps in the door before they'd be onto us."

"But we wouldn't be doing anything wrong with this plan!" Vis jumped in, "We'd just be paying what we need to, right?"

"But they'd ask questions. We'll need a cover story with whoever we send. If I remember correctly, bail for being out past curfew is about 100 credits on Tiss'sharl, that's what they arrested him for right?" Soron asked, and Lerti nodded, so the captain continued, "Though our funds are monumentally low, we do have enough fuel in this bird to get us to Nar'Shaada, so even if the price is raised, we should have enough."

"Wow. I never thought I'd see the day where _we,_ as in _us,_ was planning on following the rules!" Nek laughed.

"Well, it's actually the best bet we got for something worse _not_ to happen. I just wish we could contact Cenden somehow. Our cover stories need to match up best they can. No doubt Cenden's been interrogated by now, so he's already given his version of the story."

Vis, who was now back on the counter with a pile of cookies on her lap, slowly raised her hand, "I _think_ me and my guide can help with that."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

My guide had been following the words swirling about the room for a while.

With each new suggestion and each new word, I felt the ball of anxiety that had built up in my brain begin to get picked at one string at a time.

Then things began to connect. And I began to realize I was sorely out of my league. The fighting, the shooting, and possible stabbing… This was what I had wanted right? The adventure I'd been waiting for?

But now I sat here in quiet of the kitchen just listening to the others talking while cookie crumbs fell around my mouth… and this weird feeling came back. The one I felt before I left the temple.

It started at my toes and the tips of my fingers, but it felt like it was all pulling towards my heart and head. Like two magnets being attracted to each other, this feeling kept rising further and further up my body. And the more I wanted it to stop, the more I told my heart to stop beating so fast, then the more I thought about the falling and flying and jumping towards a giant Wookie with a gun… The more I realized we could've died.

' _I'm being silly. Shut up brain. I was never in any real danger, my guide. I would've sensed it beforehand… right?'_ I talked in my own head as I felt the Force wrap around me like a blanket.

I felt peace wash over me, but I could still sense the paths where things might've gone horribly wrong. ' _Force? I want to calm down. I don't want to be scared. But all they're talking about is more possible death scenarios. You're sense it, right?'_

In each mind, it felt like fuses to bombs being lit in their heads.

The idea would strike, the fuse became lit, but at the end of the idea blew up in their faces.

There were possibilities things would work, but they were so small, and to be honest, I could barely keep up with what they were talking about. I hadn't studied these topics as much from the holocrons.

' _I wish we could just walk in and get him.'_ I thought to my guide, ' _Blowing up stuff sound really exciting, but there has to be an easier way right?'_

That's when I spoke up. And as it turns out, we might be able to just walk in and get him!

My whole body felt like it might melt. I watched as my bright yellow freckles shifted to a deep blue while I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. We _don't_ have to fight. This time.

I'm such a wimp.

"Well, it's actually the best bet we got for something worse _not_ to happen. I just wish we could contact Cenden somehow. Our cover stories need to match up best they can. No doubt Cenden's been interrogated by now, so he's already given his version of the story."

At Soron's words, my whole being perked up.

I felt my guide dance around my head and seem to begin smiling and pulling at ideas in my mind. A grin broke out across my face as we chanted together in my mind, ' _Play time! Play time!'_

Keep it cool.

"I _think_ me and my guide can help with that," I said mysteriously as I set my cookies aside and hopped off the counter.

"You can help out with what?" Lerti voiced.

"Well, I'm glad you asked!" ' _They are going to be so impressed!'_ "I do this ALL the time with my guide when I need to figure out something I don't understand or don't know yet. I sort of place myself in that person's perspective at the moment they're in, and can kind of… Be them? Normally, people are pretty predictable. So if the interrogations already happened, I think we can figure out what Cenden said and did...maybe. It's a sort of tracking ability from what I've read in holocron data." I paused to take a breath.

"Uuuuhhhhhh, like how we pretended to be holocrons back at the temple two days ago?" Nek answered after a moment of pause.

"Exactly! It works with people, objects, ideas, stuff like that. It's just a good way for my guide to get across information. It's not 100% effective, but it worked with you guys pretty well before we met!" I exclaimed as I looked across the faces staring back at me.

I think they're confused.

"Here. I'll just show you."

The holographic map blinked off as I walked through the center of it and over towards the small table and rounded booth seats only a few steps away from the "debriefing space".

"Alright, just don't interrupt," I warned them. Only Soron gave a nod, but that's fine. I took a breath, letting my guide flow into me. Focusing, I let my mind relax, and the room around me fell away. There was only darkness. I was nothingness, and I can be anything.

Now Cenden fell into view.

I looked into his eyes at first and tried to bring my freckles to the same hue as his stern pale green ones.

Next, I put on his face. I put on his scowl that seemed to rest so comfortable there. And with a tilt of my head and a wave of my arms, I could see his mannerisms, sharp and direct.

With the new body I wore, I reached out with my hand and my eyes still closed, feeling for the seat that was once next to me but now was enveloped in the darkness. Locking my wrists together, I took a seat. I could feel the cold metal in my hand as the imagined weight of another chair moved at my touch, and I sat down.

Now time to set up the scene.

I opened my eyes.

My body ached everywhere. Not just from the fall from the building, but from the _first_ stun shock, and then from the _second_ stun, I'd felt before the world had gone completely dark.

My vision swam still as I sat in the interrogation room. I'd been awake for a while, but they'd kept me waiting for half an hour at least, a scare tactic.

Now, I tried to keep my heart from racing out of my chest, I tried to keep myself from using every bit of power I had to Force-choke the Imperial officer, who I could now sense approaching from the other side of the locked door… But not yet.

Maybe not at all.

' _As far as they're concerned,'_ I thought carefully, ' _I'm an Imperial nurse. Have been for years. Just been off the clock for a few months catching up on some long desired travel in my old age.'_

That's what the records said, that's what I have to say.

The officer walked into the room.

I greeted the man with an impatient scowl.

Now I let my freckles shift to the deep brown of this other human man's eyes. His arm was in a sling from where Nek had shot him. He was low ranking and had been looking forward to meeting a quota, but instead had been met with a blaster shot to the arm. Now, this was personal.

The interrogator looked at a datapad he held in his other hand, looking intrigued at what was written there.

"Cenden Sondron, is it?"

"Yes," I answered with a slight roll of my eyes.

"It says here that you're an Imperial medic, ranked as a nurse, is that correct?"

"Right again," At his second question, I straightened my back and sat up a bit straighter in my seat. "Which means I could probably take a look at your arm if you want."

"No that's quite alright, I already have my own medical team working on it."

"Right...Well. Why am I here then?" I questioned as slouched back into my seat. "I mean honestly, don't you have anything better to do than interrogate me? I heard the blockade warning, shouldn't you be out dealing with zhat?"

The interrogator igored my jab and continued, "Cenden Sondron, born on Ambria, currently 55 in human cycles, and has been affiliated with the Empire since it's early conception as a medical assistant on the field, and currently on leave. And not much information beyond that."

"What exactly is it that you're wanting to know?" I donned an impatient tone.

"I want to know who it is I have in custody."

"You just read my report."

The officer placed the data pad behind his back and began to stalk slowly around the table.

"No. You misunderstand. I want to know why it is that a medical officer who has been on leave for the past several months for no reason other than ' _you wanted to'_ , just happens to show up on Tiss'sharl. Spotted leaping from rooftop to rooftop after a black market raid just went down. Rebellious activity had been spotted in the area, and upon arrest, _the officer_ in charge of the arrest was assaulted and nearly killed. That's what I want to know."

"Listen, I…"

"I've heard of your kind before Mr. Sondron. The Imperial freeloaders, ones who pledge their loyalty just to give the law the slip. And, what's more I know a veteran of the Clone Wars when I see one, so, tell me. Whose side are you on?"

' _My own.'_ I meditated on those words but forced them back down my throat.

"The Empire's."

"Oh really?" He began again, "Then how did all of this happen?"

"Zhat's honestly what I'm still trying to figure out." I started, trying to sound sincere, "One minute, I'm on Tiss'sharl for a routine freelance check-up I have in zhe area, and the next thing I know I hear the blockade warning over the Imperial channel, so I decided to leave..."

"By running along the rooftops?" The Imperial mocked.

"Call it what you will but blockades slow down traffic. I thought the roofs would be faster to get out of zhe area."

"And what about this?" He pointed to his blaster-singed arm.

I closed my eyes with a sigh, trying to look empathetic, ' _I'm going to kill that Devaronian if I get out of this.'_

"I don't know who did that, I just know how to treat it."

The Imperial laughed in disbelief. I needed to say something more if this was going to work, if I was going to get out of here.

"Look, if you're so keen on accusing me of something, then _please_ accuse me already. Otherwise, can I leave?" I feigned the tone of my voice's growing concern

The officer grew quiet as he scanned over his datapad several more times before sighing and looking up at the one way glass where no doubt the officer's superiors were observing the interrogation. The officer made a motion with his hand towards his ear, a sign someone had given instructions over an earpiece.

With a silent glance back my way, the officer turned and left the interrogation room.

I groaned in frustration and glared up at the ceiling. The silent leave meant they couldn't get anything on me. But they also weren't going to let me leave anytime soon, and if they wanted to drag this out for days, OR if they forgot why they'd arrested me, I could be deported for nothing.

' _Zhe better have a plan to get me out of here soon.'_

Taking a breath, I closed my eyes and slid further down in my seat.

Then, I opened my eyes.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Cenden sat up in his chair as he heard the sound of the interrogation door slide open. His vision was foggy for a moment, he must've dozed off in the time he'd been waiting.

Two stormtroopers stood waiting for him at the door. One gave a nod and a slight wave for him to follow.

"Cenden Sondron, you are free to go. Your bail has been paid." The trooper explained.

Cenden stood hesitantly. This wasn't right.

"Uh huh, sure. And is 'free to go' code for 'we're taking you to your cell now?'" Cenden replied spitefully.

The Jedi almost jumped when from somewhere down the hall he heard a gruff voice call out to him, "No! They mean you're free to go Cenden!"

Cenden now walked curiously towards the door, "Chol?"

The two stormtroopers positioned themselves along each side of the "Imperial nurse" as they escorted him down the hall. Blinking in surprise, Cenden saw at the end of the cold metal hallway of the Imperial holding cells stood on the opposite side of a ray shielded door was the Mon Calamari pilot.

Paralleling Cenden's situation, Cholmon had an Imperial officer flanking each side of the old fish, who stood looking rather pleased at himself as Cenden was brought ever closer.

As Cenden neared the threshold, the stormtrooper on his left leaned in close and through the visor heard a somewhat familiar voice quickly whisper, "Nice to see you again. We didn't know the raid was on for today. Tell Vis that 'the twins' say hi."

With that, Cenden's escort had reached its end. They turned him and removed the restrainers on his wrists before closing the ray shield keeping him from freedom.

"So you're sure this is the man who's been giving treatments to your…?" The Imperial officer directed at Chol.

"Daughter." Cholmon finished, "We've had nurse Sondron in our services for routine check-ups for a while. He does it on freelance, and he came just in time this year to treat our daughter. He left early last night when we heard the blockade going up, I tried contacting him so he could come back and finishing treating her for the week only to learn he'd been arrested. As you can imagine me and my wife were quite…"

"That's enough, thank you." The other officer cut him short.

Chol cleared his throat. Cenden noted that this was the most he had ever heard Chol speak at one time.

"Do you have proof of his employment?" The officer questioned.

"Yes sir." Chol said as he pulled a datapad out of his pocket displaying what Cenden could only assume was some of Nek's work.

The same officer with the blasted shoulder, another token of Nek's work, looked at the data pad, eyeing it with an upturned nose, seemingly angry that everything seemed to be in place.

"Right, well. _Sorry_ for the misunderstanding _medical officer_ Sondron. Everything seems to be in order and your bail has been paid." The officer said in disdain.

"My _bail_ has been _paid_?" Cenden eyed Chol in subtle surprise.

"Yes, you are free to go." The officers stepped aside and Chol clapped Cenden on the back as the two made their way out of the holding cell and into the civilian waiting room.

All manner of life colliated amongst the civilian waiting room of the Imperial detention center in the main city of Tiss'sharl. Glancing about the space, Cenden could see among the crowds many worried faces. Looking up at the detainee board, it seemed many had been arrested in the blockade. Family's of those being interrogated waited to hear news if they could pay the bail, or if their loved one would ever be seen again. Cenden could see how Chol had been able to pull off the lie, but how had he known about…

"How did you know what I told the interrogation officer about being in the area for routine check-ups?" Cenden leaned in and whispered into what served as Chol's ear.

"Quiet." He mumbled as they walked and little further past the receptionist's service desk, "I'll explain once we're out of here and on our way to Nar'Shaada… and let's just say the kid does a pretty good impression of you."

With that, the Jedi and the pilot began to make their way back.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

" _The Force is dark. The Force is deep. The Force is mysterious. It's depths unreachable, it's vastness great. To those who are born above, they sail atop it's waters to find the end is an endless search for nothing, and those who dive to the clouded darkness from above to reach what lies below only ends in death in the pitch of night. But, to those born within, surrounded by it's waters, they look up from where they float, and see only the light of day to raise to, the light their only guide. The Force is light."_

" _I like that sis, did you write that?"_

" _Nope. It's an old Jedi proverb, so… It doesn't say an author name."_

" _Well, it sounds like you to me."_

" _Really?"_

" _Yeah! How you talk about the world and how the Force makes you feel things… I wish I could feel stuff like that. "_

" _Well, you're my brother, I'm sure you have it in you! Maybe you just need a different perspective. That's what the proverbs talking about in first place, Soron."_

Soron felt a cold nail press into his forehead, pressure began to build in his mind, threatening to cause his head to split.

" _Soron…?" A voice called out to him._

" _SORON! HELP!"_

Soron awoke with a choked scream.

His hand flew to his forehead to massage his aching head as he got a sense of his surroundings. He was still in his room on his ship making it's way to Nar'Shaada. Soron looked about, recalling moment for moment the dream he'd just had, it was more like a memory or two mashed together… He must've been napping for only about an hour in hyper-space time, but that last cry for help in his dream had sounded so real. Had that been only in his dream or had that been…?

" _SSOOORRROOONNN!"_ Vis' high pitched voice suddenly rang around the ship.

"COME BACK HERE YOU LITTLE-!" Cenden's voice chorused in response.

Within moments Soron was out of bed and in the hallway just in time to see Vis come skidding around the corner, panic-ridden and red freckled. The girl was also completely barefoot and sans oversized trench coat, making her already tiny stature even more wiry and small.

" _SORON HELP HE'S TRYING TO STAB ME!"_ Vis yelled at the top of her lungs as she skillfully slid past Soron's wide-shouldered stature just as Cenden came rushing from the same direction holding what looked to be a hypo-syringe.

"FOR THE LOVE OF BANTHA, VIS. IF YOU ARE STAYING ON THIS SHIP YOU ARE GETTING VACCINATED OR _YOU. WILL. DIE._ WE DIDN'T SPEND NEARLY THE LAST OF OUR MONEY BUYING THESE MEDICAL SUPPLIES TO _NOT_ USE THEM!"

"No the last of our money was actually used to bail you out of jail." Soron pointed out smugly as crossed his arms and smiled in amusement.

Cenden stopped to catch his breath and shoot Soron a stink eye, "I've been running diagnostics on her, but the moment a needle comes into play she takes off. You'd think a person WANTING TO SWORD FIGHT WOULDN'T BE SCARED OF NEEDLES!" Cenden heaved as he directed his last point to wherever Vis ran off to.

From somewhere in the ship a voice could be heard in reply, "I AM NO COWARD, I AM A SURVIVOR!"

Cenden growled under his breath in frustration.

"You two seem to be getting along well." Soron observed sarcastically before talking into his intercom, "BX, could you grab Vis for me?"

"I will never understand how Jedi ever put up with this." Cenden shook his head in disbelief.

"Have a little optimism. You haven't even started training with her yet."

"Yeah, about that…" Cenden said as he turned and gestured for Soron to follow. Cenden lead the captain over to the small room the crew called the medical bay.

Soron suppressed a laugh as he saw the result of Vis' daring vaccination escape with a lot of Cenden's smaller pieces of medical equipment strewn around the room. On the screen, Soron observed that Cenden had begun making a medical record for Vis just like he had his first week with the rest of the crew.

"As you can see here, I managed to draw a bit of blood before the kid decided needles were ' _not for her'_ and made a run for it." On the screen, a sample of blood came into view, "After running a few tests, she is part human and some other sort of speciez I don't have on file, not much of a surprise there. But, I ran one other test and I found she has an average number of midichlorians." Cenden concluded, looking at Soron for some kind of reaction.

"And…?"

"Aaannnddd, Soron, she technically can't be classified as Force-sensitive."

"What? That makes no sense."

"I know, but generally Jedi would be guided to Force-sensitives and Jedi-potentials have a midichlorian count way above this. "

"So would Jedi be guided to Force-sensitive children by the Force or by midichlorians?" Soron inquired.

"The Force and the midichlorians are a symbiotic relationship so both I suppose…"

"Then are midichlorians what cause someone to be Force-sensitive?" Soron rebutted.

"...Well, it was actually still being researched in my day but it seems all things have midichlorians just not everyone can 'use them' so-to-speak." Cenden said as he shrugged and ran his hand over the back of his neck.

"Then maybe there's different kinds of Force-sensitivity and there _IS_ a possibility that midichlorian counts don't matter?" Soron pressed.

"That's definitely a possibility." Cenden sighed with an exaggerated tone.

"Good! Glad to hear you're still on for training her then and you weren't using this as an elaborate excuse not to! I'm also glad you're not going to mention this to the kid!" Soron established with a forced smile.

Cenden rolled his eyes, "Uh huh."

Just as Cenden's eyes finished their rotation, the clanking sound of BX's footsteps could be heard from down the hall, along with the sound of struggling.

"Unhand me, villain!" Vis commanded as BX came into sight in the doorway, holding Vis aloft by her underarms.

"I grabbed Vis for you." BX announced.

"Thanks. Could you set that right over there?" Soron pointed to the small bed on the opposite side of the small medical bay.

BX nodded as Vis began to struggle even harder.

"BX, stay in here and make sure Vis gets all her needed shots so she can continue her Force mission with us and our crew and not carry the plague with her like a scavenger's backpack." Soron said as he looked directly at Vis.

She frowned, but stopped struggling as hard, seeming to catch his drift but not wanting to give up the illusion that she was still fighting.

Soron nodded and turned to leave, "We'll be landing on Nar'Shaddaa soon," He turned his head to face them in the doorway and laughed, "And trust me, if you're going to need a vaccination anywhere, it's there."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Wow! This place is... massive!" Vis said, face pressed against the one glass window of Soron's quarters.

Taking in the sprawling expanse of Nar Shaddaa, choked with buildings and in perpetual blackness kept at bay by the sickly lights of the crime world.

"It is, and you're not going to set foot out there." Soron said as he stood behind her.

"Oh come on! I'm used to the noise now! And I won't go wandering off unless I need to." She whined, but Soron's tone made it clear he wasn't gonna budge.

"Vis, I know your joining us was rather sudden and you haven't exactly had time to settle into this, but you're a part of a crew now. And the crew has to work together. So for now, your job is to stay here and work on this."

Vis turned her attention away from the window just in time to see Soron produce the shining white orb they'd received from within Vis' temple home. Vis' freckles turned a deep purple as a serious tone crossed her face.

"Nar'Shaddaa is a dangerous place, and if you're able to draw _danger_ on a place like Tiss'sharl, then _peril_ will most definitely find you here. You're very used to going where ever you need to, whenever you feel to, but is there any chance you could focus on simply figuring out what we're supposed to be doing with this while I take some jobs?" Soron explained as he held out the orb to Vis.

The girl nodded, "Can do."

The orb in Soron's grasp felt as if another hand suddenly grabbed hold of the orb, and Soron watched as the kyber crystal sphere was removed from his hand by thin air and floated into Vis' open palm.

As the two walked out of the room, Vis began apologetically running her hand over the orb, "I'm sorry this is all so vague. It seemed pretty clear what we were supposed to do when we left the temple. ' _Find some holocrons with certain messages inside',_ and I knew that wouldn't be easy, but I've lived alongside holocrons for so long, I figured they were a bit more abundant than they are… I think I forgot how big the galaxy is."

"My friend, you have no idea." Soron responded wistfully, "Our journey has only begun, we don't have to have all the answers right away. And mission or not, I'm glad to have you aboard."

"Really?" Vis responded, obvious she didn't know how to respond to the kindness.

"Really. I've seen you do some amazing things in the short time we've know you, and I have a feeling we could learn a thing or two." Soron and Vis stopped at the intersection of one of the ship's hallways.

Vis scoffed and slouched where she stood, "Well that's annoying considering _I'M_ supposed to be the padawan around here."

Soron laughed, "It's rare we get to pick our roles, Vis. And on the topic," Soron turned his head and cupped his clawed hand near his mouth before shouting, "CENDEN! ARE YOU READY TO GO!?"

"I'm right here." Cenden said as he rounded a corner, "I'm old, I'm not deaf." The former temple-guard wore his usual scowl along with some extra gear that suggested he was expecting a fight. His normally plain, pale yellow tunic was overlapped with a chest guard the ran along his chest and over his shoulders, connecting around the base of his neck.

In fact, both men sported extra armor and weapon utilities that made them look like Lerti's casual on steroids. Vis noticed and frowned.

"So what exactly are you guys doing for jobs here?" Vis questioned.

"That's the problem," Soron exhaled as he adjusted one of his shoulder guards, "Our employer doesn't exactly hire us in advance, so it's just best to be prepared for anything and everything."

Footsteps quickly rounded the corner to reveal Nek. The Devorian huffed, out of breath, and held out his hand to Soron, "Here's the thermal detonators you wanted, it was the only pair I could find on the ship that weren't potential duds."

"Thanks Nek. I actually have another favor to ask of you." Soron said as he tucked the detonators away in a pouch on his belt.

"Sure, as long as it doesn't involve more running around the ship." Nek's response emanated exaggerated exhaustion.

"I'd like you to help Vis with the orb. You two seemed to work well together back at the temple with experimental theories so maybe you can figure out more about our next possible steps?" Soron entreated.

"Sure! Jedi stuff is really interestingly designed so I'd be happy to help her prod some answers out of that thing." Nek agreed as he moved to lean his elbow on Vis' shoulder, only for Vis' hollow form to be off balanced by the weight.

The two went tumbling to the ground only for Nek to quickly shoot back up off the floor, while Vis still lay on the ground nearly crying from a sudden giggle fit. Nek looked at her before giving a hasty thumbs up.

"Oh ja, I'm sure you two will be very productive." Cenden observed sarcastically.

"Don't worry we'll have the rest of the crew to keep us boring." The statement from Nek made Vis' laughter only grow in snorts. Nek continued, "We'll be fine, we'll keep you guys updated on what we find, just get out of here!" Nek said as he began pushing the two towards the ship's exit.

"Please stay out of trouble." Soron added as the two made their final leave.

"Oh I'm sure we won't." Vis exhaled, wiping a tear from her eye as she sat up from the floor.

On that note, Soron and Cenden left the _Raving Titan_ and made their way into the crowded streets of Nar'Shadda. As usual, the city wafted with the scents of garbage and sewer fumes. It was night when they arrived on this section of the planet's surface, the lights of buildings that towered around them ate up any semblance of the sky that there might've been in such a place.

Soron always liked having the luxury of viewing the stars, it was a comforting thought that no matter what kind of trouble he got himself into, that there was always some possibility of somewhere else he needed to be.

Soron and Cenden didn't have to walk far, Beeb's main base of operation was stationed purposefully close to that section of the city's air field. This way if she had to make a hasty escape she wouldn't have to go far, but then again, if someone else attempted to make a hasty escape… It wouldn't be hard for Beebs' people to get to them first.

The familiar pulsing light and sounds that emanated from _The Incubus_ called to Soron. After the past couple of weeks he'd be having, it was nice to hear something familiar. Even if that something was horribly loud and smelled like a highly concentrated version of Nar Shadda's streets.

Bracing themselves against the overwhelming atmosphere of the bar, the two shouldered their way through and around the large crowd that had gathered to riot-about on the dance floor. Heading up the dimly lit stairs towards the upper rooms, Soron and Cenden were greeted by Ando. The heavily scared human bodyguard seemed to be competing with Cenden for best scowl as he eyed the two suspiciously.

"Hey Ando." Soron greeted with an efforted wave, "It's been a while."

To Soron's surprise, the bodyguard entered the code to open the door without a word and gave them nothing more than an annoyed sniff as they moved to pass.

"What? Don't tell me you went and got nice while I was gone!" Soron humored as Ando moved to shove Soron into the room. The captain ducked the assault with a quiet sneer.

Entering Beeb's lavish apartment living room, the melodious voice of the Falleen crime boss swept into the room. Beeb crossed the threshold of one of her own back rooms, she seemed to be on a call as her hand held the hidden long range communication device hidden in her ear. Upon seeing Soron she smiled surprisedly and mouthed, ' _Hi! Hold on one moment, on a call!'_ She turned her head as she listened, again attentive to the voice on the other end.

"Yes I'm still here." Beebs responded as she waved her hand towards the couches, motioning for them to sit, "Ralnar, I can hear you just fine, but as you know there's nothing else that can be done. You promised me the shipment and I expect you to get it for me…" Beebs cupped her other hand over her ear and hissed, " _Do you want something to drink?"_

Soron and Cenden quietly shook their heads as a no. Beebs gave a thumbs up before returning to her conversation,

"Ralnar, I don't care what it takes for you to get that shipment off of Odessen, just get it done… Oh?" An oddly cruel smile stretched across Beebs' face, "Is that so? Well, I suppose there's nothing else that can be done. Bye-bye Ralnar." Beebs hung up and looked over to her Tiss'shar secretary, "Xa-Sin-Ruk? Send someone to break his knees or whatever it is Rakata's use to walk with."

Beebs let out a frustrated sigh with a smile before taking a seat on the couch across from Soron and Cenden. " _Ah!_ Sorry about that, good help is so hard to find these days yatta-yatta, any-who! Soron! Where have you been? It feels like it's been ages! And bringing your newest crew member without again? Huh, well aren't you Soron's favorite!?" Beebs exclaimed as if she was talking with a couple of friend over lunch.

Cenden scoffed as he crossed his arms, "I doubt I'm anyone's favorite anything."

"Well aren't you modest." She retorted slyly, "SO, what brings you by these parts here again? Galaxy got too big for you?" She inquired as she motioned for her secretary to make her a drink.

"You could say that." Soron responded with a forced laugh, "The long and short of it Beebs is that we're very broke."

"Say no more my friend, as you probably overheard I need someone on route to Odessen and the pay will be worth the hassle I'm sure."

Soron held up a hand, "That would be great Beebs and we'd be willing to go check the situation out there, but we honestly only had enough fuel to get from Tiss'sharl to here." Soron looked over at the secretary, "Lovely place by the way, great weather this time of year."

The Tiss'shar hardly glanced up from his screen at Soron's comment. Soron continued, "Beebs, we're basically wearing all the ammo we have left. We were hoping for something a little more local so bring us back up to our normal standard of equipment."

"Huh." Beebs was quiet for a moment, she seemed to be contemplating something as she looked the two of them over, "That doesn't sound like you Soron, you're normally so careful to come to me _before_ you're desperate. You know that's how you get the… less desirable jobs."

"Like you said," Soron shifted slightly in his seat, "We're desperate."

Beebs noticed the moment of discomfort in Soron's demeanor and raised an eyebrow ever so gently with a knowing look on her face, "Oh Soron, please don't tell me you're on another one of your… personal missions again, are you?"

Cenden said nothing at this but gave Soron a look that spoke volumes for him:

' _What's she mean by that?'_

"Of course not, Beebs." Soron tried to say reassuredly, "You know very well I haven't been on about _that_ in a good long while, and I won't be starting up again on that anytime soon."

Beebs shrugged and seemed to drop the topic, pulling up a holomap on the stimcaf table she kept between them. Listing off a few different jobs she had in the area, they took the one with the best pay but as warned, was the messiest option.

Soron had a grimace locked on his face as the rose to leave the seemingly cozy apartment Beebs used as her home. Cenden noticed his captain picking at the underside of his claws as Soron worriedly prepared to speak.

Cenden began to gather the Force around Soron, willing him in his mind, ' _Don't say anything. Don't say anything. Don't-'_

"Beebs?" Soron turned before they left, "Don't you have any information on… holocrons, in the area?"

' _Blast it.'_ Cenden sighed to himself in defeat.

Beebs blinked in surprise before the sly smile they'd seen come over her face earlier spread longingly across her lips. Wrapping an arm around her own waist and slowly raising a finger up to her face in feigned curiosity, she smiled, "Why the sudden interest, Soron?"

Soron shrugged unconvincingly, "We met a buyer in Tiss'sharl who mentioned something about being interested in buying one."

"Are you sure that interested buyer wasn't you, Soron?" Beebs inquired nonchalantly.

"No, it was a gentlemen named-"

"Soron? Shut up." Beebs commanded sweetly, and surprisingly the captain obeyed. The Falleen crime lord stalked up to Soron slowly, "Soron Mekusa. I've known you for long enough to know when you're about to start doing something stupid. Something particularly… Jedi involved. And because I like you, I'm going to tell you this. Do _not_ go looking for holocrons here on Nar Shadda. This planet has a rich history with the topic, and if this means you're off on another one of your little pilgrimages that's going to probably affect my business with you negatively, then I suggest you stop _again_ , _now_ , before this planet's rich history bleeds you dry."

With that, Beebs turned swiftly with a wave of a hand. Suddenly, Ando who had opened the door for them, stepped into the room to usher them out. Soron and Cenden followed him out without resistance.

"Thanks for the warning Beebs!" Soron said voice dripping with fake jovialness, "It was nice catching up!"

Beebs laughed, "And the same to you, you fool of a captain!" She returned with the same tone.

Cenden and Soron made their way out back onto the streets outside of _The Incubus,_ and the coordinates to their 'desperate mission' were sent to their comlinks on their wrists. Cenden, looking up towards where he knew Beebs room was located on the second floor, raised an eyebrow before looking at Soron,

"What was _zhat_ about?" The old Jedi questioned.

"Eeeehhhhh, I'll tell you on the way to our job." Soron replied as he ran his hand over the back of his neck, "Let's just say this whole thing with Vis isn't the first time I've had run-ins with the Force. This just happens to be the first time I'm directly involved for once. Let's get a move on and hope Beebs' warning won't find its way back to our crew… I have a bad feeling about all of that."

A/N: We're back at all of you with another chapter! This one took a very long time to make, partially cause of real life events and partially as we needed this and the next chapter to begin out other arcs that we have planned for this story. We hope you all enjoy, and if you want head over to our official Twitter page ( FreeReign4) for updates, art, and much more!


	17. Chapter 13: BX Blitz

Disclaimer: We ( zazabelle and draksisreborn) own nothing but our OCs. Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. Please review and enjoy this latest installment.

It had been nearly two hours in Nar'Shaada time since Soron and Cenden had left on their mission from Beebs. The sky had opened up in those hours and raindrops fell steadily across the hull of the _Raving Titan_ where Soron's crew waited patiently for their return.

Nek and Vis sat in the lower engine room of the ship listening placidly to their own thoughts while Nek began laying out the pieces for the data table they'd gone to Tiss'sharl to collect. Near him, Vis sat on the floor with her eyes closed, mumbling to herself. Scrolls with notes and lightsabers lay strewn around her with the orb placed in her lap.

Nek stood back for a moment to examine his work. He'd mostly bought parts needed to build a targeting computer on an old Republic warship; metal casings, crystalline screens, and bundles upon bundles of wires were placed in piles on the floor.

"The pieces are all there, I just need to figure out in what order to put them together." Nek's mumble to himself was nearly lost in the hiss of the rain battering the walls around them.

"I get that." Vis finally sighed and opened her eyes, "I have all these notes and theories about what in the world this orb thingy could be for… But nothing makes sense."

"Kid, nothing's made sense since Cenden joined this crew, and things just got even more confusing with you being here. I feel like I'm just along for the ride at this point." Nek said in a similarly down-trodden tone.

"Well, you're here for a reason. We all have a part to play in this, I just wish I could more about what _this_ is." Vis grumbled holding up the orb, "Any ideas?"

Nek wasn't sure if she was talking to him on that last part but he decided to respond anyway, "If I actually manage to build this data table we can access information from your temple anytime so... that'd be helpful right?"

"But look at all this stuff we figured out back at the temple!" She said picking up one of her many scroll pieces covered it nearly unreadable handwriting, "You said, as playing the part of the orb, ' _I try to pick up the data from incoming holocrons but I have no antenna.'_ " Vis read off the scroll, her freckles shifting to the same deep orange as Nek's eyes, "You continued on to say ' _So it can't pick up anything because it hasn't been given the ability to hear the message yet! But once the antennas are installed we could pick up on the data of any holocron in the galaxy!'_ That sounds so smart doesn't it!?"

"You… Recorded our conversation?" Nek responded hesitantly.

"Yeah! What do you guys think I'm normally doing writing in all these blank scrolls?" Vis asked with a tilt of her head.

"I guess I don't normally pay attention to people unless they're talking to me directly." Nek laughed.

"I think I do that too, so it's ok!" Vis responded jovially.

"But you do have a point. We did figure out a lot from just being in the temple for a few days." Nek pointed out.

"Exactly! And now everything's gone stagnant!" Vis sighed, her freckles growing brighter orange.

Holding the white crystalline orb close to her face, she took a breath.

"Soron's kinda put a lot of faith in me and I act like I know a lot but none of this is an exact science, and I THOUGHT that my mind would be 'opened more to the Force' or something through training with Cenden, but he hasn't even started that, and I've just been feeling really weird since our fight on the train, like there's somewhere I need to be, or something I need to be doing, but I don't know where to go next, and-"

"Vis?" Nek cut her off.

Vis' word cut short, she realized she was rambling and fell silent.

"Let's just uh, focus on what we can do right now, ok?" Nek suggested. The Devaronian stood awkwardly like he didn't quite know what to say, but knew he had to say something.

The girl's freckles shifted to blue as she let out a breath and nodded. Nek moved to sit on the floor near the schematics he'd drawn up for the data table's parts. Vis crawled across the room and plopped down next to him, the orb still in her hand. Looking over the paper, her eyes narrowed.

"What's that part do?" Vis said pointing with her free hand to a central chamber in the data table's main body piece.

"That, in a normal targeting computer, is where the main circuit board for the computer is stored and operates off of the ship's power supply. But sometimes they'd put a power-cell in there for backup power," Nek explained as he held up the blueprints so Vis could get a better look, "But as for what it's used for here, I won't know until-"

The echoing of metallic footsteps cut off Nek's sentence as the tall thin form of BX entered the lower engine room. "Hey! Perfect timing!" Nek proclaimed to the droid before turning back to Vis, "I won't know what's stored in that chamber until BX gets here and shows me some of his scans of the table."

Nek motioned for the droid to come and stand near them. BX silently complied and stood over the pile of parts before projecting data on the scan he'd run back at the temple. The blue transparent light of the hologram unfolded into view from the droid's eyes, displaying an x-rayed scan of the inner workings of the data table with some parts labeled to show they'd been identified, with other pieces flashing red to depict they were foreign objects to the robot's memory banks. One of those pieces flashing in red was the centralized chamber.

Nek noticed this and cursed under his breath, running his red-taloned hand over one of the horns on his head, his finger hesitating to scratch along a chip in his horn, "This is going to make things more difficult." Reaching forward he touched the flashing red image of the hologram to enhance it.

The chamber was the same wide rectangular shape of the targeting system in Nek's schematics, but there wasn't a circuit board or a power cell in there. Instead, there was a cylindrical shape, like some sort of pipe lodged in the chamber's space. "See if I knew what that was, I'd know what's powering this thing. My guess is that this actually _was_ a Republic warship targeting computer that someone scraped together to open holocrons, which is really impressive, don't get me wrong, but that makes the design… difficult to replicate when it seemed the original mechanic was just running off of trial and error testing."

Nek went quiet in thought as he stepped back to examine the piece as a whole. The three in the room thought for a moment while the rain still drummed away outside, the noise reaching a crescendo in the quiet.

BX suddenly made a move. Still projecting the hologram of schematics, the droid bent into Nek's pile and began rearranging the parts to align more symmetrically.

"Hey guys…?" Vis responded to the droid's movement, her spots growing purple, "If the person who made this thing could open holocrons, then why build it at all? What were they trying to do?"

"Maybe they couldn't open holocrons." BX's deep metallic voice suggested, the droid still focused on organizing.

"And not only that but from what I've seen, this thing doesn't just open holocrons, it organizes them by what the original user placed in them." Nek continued, "Those things can hold infinite information from the Force, right? But info can also be placed inside of them. So this table seems to bring up the actual data that was stored in the holocron, not just floating around in its infinite hard drive space… Or something."

Vis' looked wide-eyed at the two, her mouth agape, "You guys are geniuses." She marveled.

"I guess we are," Nek replied.

"I have to write this down!" Vis said nearly belly flopping onto her pile of paper where she began to scribble furiously while mumbling to herself.

The girl lost in her flurry of activity and Nek moving on to begin making notes of his own on his schematics. BX finished his organization of the parts, his gaze looking up to the glowing red projection of the unidentified object.

The old commando droid's circuits began to click. Dropping the data table scan, his attention turned to the girl surrounded by paper and lightsabers. BX bent down, his metal claw-like hand reached and grabbed one of the lightsabers just as a voice from a level up called out,

"HEY! LOOK SHARP! TRANSMISSION COMING THROUGH FROM SORON!" Lerti commanded loudly as the hatch installed above the lower engine room flew open.

The Mandalorian slid down the ladder, and whiter light from the main hall of the ship flooded down in a beam into the dimmer red light the engine room supplied.

BX rose, the lightsaber still in his hand.

At Lerti's order, Nek and Vis stood from their writings hastily and gathered around BX who stood at their attention.

"Alright, connect the transmission BX," Lerti said as she pressed a flashing indicator on her comlink.

They heard the blaster fire before Soron's holographic form even had a chance to come into view.

The Shistavanen captain crouched behind what looked to be metal shipping containers that were serving as cover against the _actual rain_ and the rain of blaster fire bearing down on him.

"HI SORON!" Vis' erupted loudly.

"HI VIS!" Soron yelled back with as big a smile as he could manage while he stood from his cover for a moment to return a few rounds of fire before crouching back, blaster bolts ripping through the air around him, "So! The mission is taking a LOT longer than expected!"

Soron shrank back. Two shot flew by, he just barely dodged them. "How are you all doing?" Soron's voice battered against the explosion of activity around him as he repeatedly blinked the downpour out of his eyes.

Lerti let out a humored scoff, "Did you call just to check up on us? Or was there actually a reason for you calling?"

"Oh, does a captain really _need_ a reason to call his favorite crew members?" Soron said with a smile in his voice as his now stone-cold face turned and focused fire against something that could be heard crying out in pain.

"You need backup, don't you?" Lerti guessed, voice dropping to a complete deadpan tone.

"Well, the mission is a bit more… Complicated! Than expected!" Soron mused, pausing in between certain words to fire a few more rounds.

" _ZHIS WOULD BE OVER A LOT SOONER IF I COULD GET A DECENT SHOT IN!"_ Cenden's angry accent shot into the audio feed.

The old temple guard suddenly backed into view holding his blaster close to his chest. Cenden's blonde hair plastered to his forehead, both he and Soron looked like battered wet rags. Cenden attempted to look over the crate to his back before ducking under a bolt that nearly replaced where his head used to be.

"Soron, Nek and I will be there soon, just send over your location," Lerti interjected.

"Ooo! Cenden! Just use your lightsaber to deflect the bolts!" Vis added.

"I know how sabers work-!"

"Cenden!" Soron cut him off, "Just do it! It's Nar'Shaada! Who's going to care!?" Soron yelled above the storm.

"No one'll care as long as you make sure Grakkus the Hutt doesn't hear about it." Nek pointed out with a smile on his lips. With a silent sneer, Cenden reached into the sopping folds of his armored tunic and produced the severed lightsaber the old Jedi still carried with him.

Flipping the opening backwards, the blade ignited in the gloom. The yellow light shining off the raindrops around them gave the appearance of sunlight from between the clouds. Cenden stood from their hiding spot with the blade running along his forearm in a reverse-grip. The blaster bolts began to deflect off of the saber's yellow light and Cenden crouched, readying himself to launch forward into the fray once more.

"WAIT WAIT! THIS CAN BE LIKE REMOTE TRAINING SESSION!" Vis shouted her suggestion as she watched Cenden seem to jettison into the air and out of the hologram's line of sight. "Dangit! Soron! Tell Cenden to come back and do that again! I wanna try and copy him!" Without waiting for a response Vis spun to grab her saber off the floor, tossing the orb into BX's other free hand.

 _ **POP!**_

With an enormous crackling sound and a flurry of sparks, the message projecting from BX's eyes burst to nothingness.

Vis and Nek screamed and Lerti retreated with raised fists, but all they saw was smoke coming off of his metallic body. The droid went suddenly limp, and fell with a lifeless crash to the ground, the orb and lightsaber still locked in his hands.

All was quiet save for the battering of the rain while the three stood in bewildered silence.

Lerti's comlink suddenly began to blink again, but she made no move to answer it, her eyes making only a sharp glance in Vis' direction. Wide-eyed, the girl slowly shrugged, her freckles changing to the same bright yellow as Cenden's lightsaber, "It wasn't my fault…? I think?"

Lerti's hand went to the comlink, just Soron's voice came through this time. "WHAT HAPPENED!?" Soron yelled, voice still spitting rainwater.

"I think... Vis just broke BX." Lerti responded slowly.

"Sorry!" Vis almost yelped, her hand flying to her mouth for her teeth to munch on.

"WHAT!? Did you just say-" He fired three shots, "BX is _broken_!? _AGAIN?!_ "

"Wait, something's happening." Nek said as he kneeled down next to BX. The droid's body began to twitch, a few more sparks sputtering out before his eyes exploded with a green light like he was projecting a holo-message.

"Whoa!" Nek jumped back as the light began to take shape.

The green light formed into a perfect sphere which shook and glitched a bit with each jolt of BX's body. The orb seemed to be spinning slowly, like a planet in orbit. It spun only for a few moments before a white dot appeared on one side of the surface. The dot began to blink and spark. BX's deep metallic voice caused the crew's insides to jump as he began to speak, deeper and more machine-like than usual as he started repeating a sequence of numbers and letters.

" _Grid Coordinate: S-12, Sectors:_ _33.4484° N, 112.0740° W…"_

"What is going on!? Is something important happening!?" Soron spat over what sounded to be static building up between the comlinks.

"Soron? I'm not sure what's going on, BX is relaying coordinates- Can you hear me? Soron?" Lerti attempted to speak.

" _I- Hear- Lert-?"_ Static consumed the rest of his words. That's when Vis noticed the glow of the orb in BX's hand. Her eyes also shifting over to see the lightsaber in the other. It was far older than any of the others she had seen, even in the temple, covered in rust so its key components were almost entirely obscured.

Freckles shifting to the same bright green of the hologram, Vis gasped and began to shake her hands excitedly as she spun in a circle, "Oh my gosh, OH MY GOSH! It's the orb! It's the kyber crystal! AAHHH! WE CRACKED IT! _NEK!"_

"That's what's powering the data table," Nek said piecing together Vis' fragmented sentences, "That's the power conduit BX couldn't identify! So, the orb's extracting coordinates off of the kybercrystal in the saber!?"

"I don't know how that's possible but we are back in the game! Thank you, my guide!" Nek and Vis high-fived over BX's twitching body before Lerti cut in, motioning for them to be quiet as she listened intently,

"S-12… These coordinates are on Nar'Shaada." Just as the words left Lerti's mouth, her comlink began blinking again. This time she answered right away, Soron's voice coming through loud and clear this time.

"We got-" He suddenly yelled as the sound of a fist connecting with someone's face could be heard, "Cut off back there. I think the storm is messing with the SIGNAL!" The sound of Soron's fist slamming across another jaw again came over the audio.

Lerti was quiet for a moment. Her eyes shifted thoughtfully to Vis who had bent down to examine the glowing orb before Lerti let her own spheres turn to examine the glowing green image still emitting coordinates in front of them. Her face scrunched thoughtfully before she leaned her finger into the comlink's mic,

"Soron... are you still needing that backup?" Lerti asked tactfully.

"We seem to be doing _BETTER_ at the _MOMENT_!" Soron said, still fist fighting.

"That's good because I think we have a heading for one of those ' _Force mission'_ things, and it's only a few city blocks away from here."

Soron's struggle continued for a moment before he finally responded back, "Wait, really!? Of course, this happens when I'm NOT there." Soron sighed, "I'll ask how this happened- When I get back- But for now you- Nek, and BX go- Check it out… If you can get him operational that is." Soron spoke very quickly in between huffs as it sounded like he was running.

Lerti eyed the smoke coming off the droid, "We'll see."

"And let me make this clear; no matter what, DO NOT BRING VIS THIS TIME. We don't know where those coordinates lead, I just want you three to scout out what we'll be walking into when we do it for real." Soron instructed rapid fire.

"Aww… I wanna come on a Force mission…" Vis pouted to herself.

Whether Soron could hear it or not, he added, "And Vis. I need you to stay behind and run further examinations on the kyber orb and figure out how these coordinates are being transmitted and why."

Vis instantly brightened up, "Can do!" A pressure built up in the room as Vis reached forward and the orb was wrenched from BX's hand, the Force gently guiding it into her grasp.

"Why thank you." Vis curtsied with her enormous coat to the invisible energy field. Only a moment after the orb left the droid's metal claw, the smoke rising from BX's hull died down enormously, but the droid still lay unmoving.

Noticing the levels of smoke drop, Lerti leaned back to the comlink, "You sure you want us to head somewhere without you? Shouldn't we wait?"

"As much as I'd normally agree with you, Cenden and I have only just made it on location and secured it." Soron explained through suppressed huffing. The static noise that came through the comlink's background had gone silent save for the rain. The fighting had come to a close for now. "The more we place our immediate focus on what it is that we're supposed to be doing with all of this new information the faster we're going to get answers that give us context."

"Alrighty then, as soon as we see if we can get BX up and moving we'll head out-"

As if to the que of Lerti's words, BX's hull suddenly gave another loud " _POP!"_ and Nek that had leaned in to examine the droid nearly jumped to the ceiling in surprise as BX shot into sitting position.

"UNKNOWN ERROR. DIAGNOSTICS INCONCLUSIVE. POSSIBLE MALWARE DETECTED." BX announced, his voice slowly rising in pitch back to it's usual level as the droid's systems restarted.

Lerti smiled, "And we're set to go! We'll keep you updated."

"WHOOP WHOOP! BX is _NOT_ DEAD! Up top!" Vis cheered as she high fived the orb this time.

Another voice suddenly came over the comlink, "Wait, did I just hear that we're _not_ getting backup?"

"Beebs is sending her guys to help us from here, we just needed to secure the tunnel's opening…"

The crew didn't hear the rest as Lerti released her thumb from the cylindrical device's sensor.

"You heard the mission; Nek, BX? You two and I are going to that set of coordinates. Vis, you're staying here to… do whatever it is that you do."

"Yeah I am!" Vis replied as she spun and began collecting her papers and lightsabers off the ground.

A slight whirring could be heard as BX raised his arm to call attention to Lerti, "I actually did not hear my mission statement, I think I may have experienced a glitch in my system… What coordinates are we proceeding to?"

Nek glanced down thoughtfully at the lightsaber still clutched in the droid's hand.

"So… we can only see the coordinates when BX is holding the orb…" Nek gasped, "I just had an idea."

"That's a first. Tell me on the way." Lerti said impatiently, pushing forward as she grabbed Nek and hauled BX to his feet as the three left the dim red light of the engine room, leaving Vis to hum to herself a song that didn't exist.


	18. Chapter 14: Mission's Bane

Disclaimer: We ( zazabelle and draksisreborn) own nothing but our OCs. Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. Please review and enjoy this latest installment.

"...In short, we might not have to build the data table at all! If I could install a section in BX's chest to integrate the power flow of lightsaber crystal, then we could have a walking data table-!"

Lerti and BX weren't paying much attention to Nek as the three of them sat in a city transport speeder on their way to the orb's directed coordinates. Lerti sat up front near the driver, head in her hand and helmet on her lap as she watched the rain streak off the hovercraft window while they soared in between city buildings and stayed within the near impossible lanes of 3-Dimensional traffic. Nek and BX sat in the back; Nek was still rambling on about his new design plans to no one in particular, unless you counted the driver, who didn't seem any more interested than the rest of them. BX sat stoically, head bent, staring down at the old rusted lightsaber he still gripped in his left claw.

BX had been unwilling to hold the orb again to see if the same coordinates would come up, so Lerti had to immediately recorded herself saying the series of latitudes and longitudes she could remember from the sequence before Nek compared them to the map of the city they had on file in the ship. The closest they could find to the sequence that Lerti remembered was a large living complex called "Iron Gate Residential" located on the southside of the 3rd quadrant in the sprawling planet-wide city. This wasn't impossibly far from docking depot _The Raving Titan_ was being housed in, so a short city transport ride later, Lerti, Nek, and BX were now arriving on an entrance platform nearly 200 stories up the living complex.

As the cab slowed to a stop, Lerti gazed up at the skyscraping tower and cursed silently to herself as the ridiculousness of her life once again set in.

Paying the driver, Lerti nearly started cursing _less_ to herself as they exited the cab. As soon as the engineer and the droid's door slammed shut, Lerti turned with a frown on her teeth.

"Did none of us think how we were going to know what apartment we're looking to head into?" She snapped, quickly shutting up Nek who had still been talking, "Or, what we're even looking for to begin with!?"

The two were quiet for a moment before Nek shrugged, "I mean, I figured we're looking for a holocron."

Lerti sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, "BX? Any ideas?"

Lerti looked up.

BX was gone.

"Wha the-? BX!?" Lerti called as Nek spun around to find the same nothingness.

Nek quickly pointed as he spotted the tall droid moving through the crowds and rain towards the living complex's 200th story entrance. Lerti and Nek jumped to action to keep up. The two called out to the droid but the commando seemed fixated on something in the distance.

They caught up just as BX was entering the building and saw the droid wasn't fixated on something far away but was instead holding the old rusty saber out in front of him almost as if he was holding a compass.

As the droid entered the 'lobby', or rather a very run down, big room with a receptionist and moldy smelly couches, Lerti grabbed BX's arm and, with effort, spun the droid to face her. BX's attention suddenly snapped to her as she hissed, " _What are you doing!?"_

"Following the sequence." The droid explained, motioning with the lightsaber.

Luckily the saber was so rusted, from a distance it likely resembled more of an old drainage pipe than a near-mythical weapon. Just to be safe, Nek eyed the Ithorian receptionist to look for a reaction but the alien's slug-like face didn't move away from the holonet screen she watched lazily from behind her desk.

"What do you mean?" Nek whispered as he turned back to the conversation, also keeping his voice down for their one audience member.

"There is a sequence of very subtle sounds rising from this device echoing off another device in this building and so I was following." BX explained in great detail.

"Sequence of sounds… you mean like a song? Like Vis talks about? How can you hear it?" Nek questioned with a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"I believe it is connected with the error that occured in my system earlier today. Or my trick circuit is acting up again, but the connection seemed viable enough to act on. Though the sound is very faint." BX explained with a shrug to his tone.

"That's so cool." Nek breathed.

Lerti snorted softly, "You sound like Vis."

"Well you smell like Vis." Nek retorted.

Before Lerti could begin to even scrape the surface of whatever that was supposed to mean, BX was off. Again the droid made his way across the lobby but this time Lerti and Nek simply followed. Stepping into an elevator at the other end of the room, BX stood for a moment, contemplating the nearly 400 floors worth of buttons on the inside of the elevator's panel.

He held out the saber in front of the buttons.

"3… 1. 4. This is the correct series." BX concluded as he selected Floor 314.

As the lift doors slid to a close, Nek caught a glimpse of the Ithorian receptionist lazily pointing to a plaque on the wall Nek hadn't seen before, her eyes never leaving the screen in front of her.

' _Trespassers will be shot.'_ The sign read.

"Lovely." Nek sighed as the door clicked closed.

On the ride up, Lerti contacted Soron and updated him on their status and position. "From the looks of things we may be in for a heist, but we don't know who it is we're stealing the box from."

"Who knows?" Nek cut in, "Maybe it'll be some wise old Jedi who'll see the purity of our hearts and hand it over."

" _Well… Maybe? No. Probably not."_ Soron's doubt filled voice responded over the comlink.

"Yeah, you're right." Nek's voice deflated.

With that, the elevator doors slid open and the three left the lift. Hanging up on Soron, Lerti and Nek followed as BX wove purposefully through the maze of hallways and rooms just on the 314th floor of the skyscraper.

The hallways reflected the 200th floor lobby that they'd entered in from: dark, dingy, and wrought with this planet's varieties of mold. And no doubt the rooms within also reflected that same proviso. The lights above them seemed to flicker with each step they took and voices could always be heard around each corner but each cause of the sound quieted before any of the three could make out a word.

Lerti had placed her helmet on in the lift but now kept her hands near her blasters at her sides and Nek reciprocated her caution by keeping a hand along the shaft of his double bladed vibroblade he had strung across his small, but sturdy form. BX, on the other hand, did not seem concerned with the lights or the voices. The normally alert and defensive droid seemed somehow distant as he held the saber in front of him, only adding further to the eerie nature of the situation.

BX suddenly came to a stop outside a room only one door away from the emergency exit door at the end of the hall. A notably prime spot for anyone needing conveniently to escape.

"Room B-214e. This is the correct sequence." BX announced in a hushed voice.

Lerti, snapping to attention, drew her weapons and made the motions for Nek and BX to get into position next to and in front of the door. BX crouched and backed away so his back was nearly touching the door across the hall. With Nek just across from her at the edge of the door frame, Lerti gave the signal for BX to scan the room for life signs.

After a moment BX silently looked to Lerti.

"Anyone home?" Lerti whispered.

"There are life signs in the room above and in the rooms two doors down but none in this room or its immediate neighbors." BX reported quietly.

"Alright. Nek? You want to be the one ot do the honors?" Lerti said motioning to the keypad on the door.

Nek nodded quietly and got to work debasing the keypad frame and rewiring the circuits holding the door shut. A few moments later, the door slid open. In the near silence of the dingy living space, the sound was deafening.

Lerti gave the signal for how they were to enter and the three of them slid into the pitch black room. But…

"Hold." Lerti commanded as they finished taking their positions, "Something's off."

The three stared curiously at the scene before them. It was no wonder there were no life signs of the neighboring rooms if this one was empty.

There was only _one_ room.

BX's eye lights shined in through the open door. Nek inched forward, his eyes darting around the room.

"If I'm seeing this right, it looks like the two rooms directly to the right of this one have been knocked down and I think the two rooms in the hallway adjacent to this one have also been joined." Nek surmised quietly.

The space was filled with crates. Though, to Lerti it looked like a garage sale compared to the large scale black market operation that herself, Cenden, and Vis had stumbled upon in Tiss'sharl. Nonetheless it was still an impressive amount of things to put in the "one" room.

The three crept into the room, leaving the door open for extra light and the first point of escape if need be. Nek fidgeted where he stood with vibroblade at the ready, "BX, can you hear the singing?"

BX was quiet for a moment, looking towards the lightsaber like he was waiting for it to talk. The droid then nodded and pointed somewhere deep in the crate maze, "I believe it's somewhere in that direction."

Nek followed BX further into the darkness, his back to the droid and vibroblade extended as he watched the inky surroundings. Lerti stayed behind in the open space of light, blasters drawn.

She was exposed this way. Anyone coming in, or hiding within, would be more likely to focus on her and not the two procuring the item. Lerti gazed about, expectantly, for while BX's scans for lifeforms were mostly accurate according to his programming, but there were plenty of ways to trick a droid, especially one acting as strangely as theirs.

Listening to make sure she could still hear BX's clanking footsteps in the distance, Lerti allowed her attention to move from examining the darkness for shifting shadows to examining the storage room itself.

Even in the dim light, Lerti could make out the basic shapes of the crates around her. They weren't identical, so she figured this wasn't an official business like Jinx had, or even like Beebs carries out. Whoever was collecting these things didn't care about presentation.

"I sure have been stumbling into some real junk piles lately." Lerti said to herself thinking of the blackmarket of Tiss'sharl, Vis' mismatch temple, and just Cenden in general.

She heard a metallic snap sound from open somewhere in the storage room followed by the fainter sound of a lid being placed on the floor.

Lerti put her hand to the comlink button on her helmet, "Find what we came for?" Lerti asked.

" _We found the holocron."_ BX's voice returned.

"Let's get out of here." Lerti said turning towards the door when something caught her eye. Something glinted in the dim shadows that stretched across the ceiling right above their escape route.

' _A hatch? ...A hatch into the room above.'_ Lerti realized too late.

The metal hatch shifted.

A silhouetted figure fell to the ground blocking the door, the only thing Lerti could see was the glint of a smile revealed from beneath a wide-brimmed shadow.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"I'm just saying," Nek whispered, "You being able to hear the kyber-crystal makes no sense, especially without the orb. I mean can't Jedi only do that stuff cause of stuff in their blood? You don't even have blood."

BX was receiving the sound of Nek's voice perfectly to his receptors and the data was being processed accordingly, but the droid had decided he couldn't hear him.

Nek wasn't interesting.

Interesting, to BX, involved acting outside of his calculations for reaction. Interesting meant that BX would feel that nearly inoperable loose wire in his head twitching and telling him to fix something. And the wire that caused, what Soron called "house cleaning mode", didn't care about Nek's rambling and his obvious questions.

BX knew what was possible and what wasn't. He'd been built to fight Jedi in _The Clone Wars_ , as the war had been named. He knew how Force-sensitives operated, and _they_ _did_ interest him. Their spontaneous nature beyond his calculations, the way they defied odds, was a mathematical nightmare for someone built on the idea of calculating and defeating _odds._

BX turned one of the dark corners, and stopped.

The sound had quieted to near nothingness.

Lightly shaking the lightsaber he held before him, he strained his receptors against Nek's babbling and continued on for a few more steps.

Nek's obvious questions _were_ nagging at him. How was he hearing that slight… ringing? That was the only way the droid could think to describe it. A ringing sound pulsating in and out of the saber's rusted hilt, and somewhere in the distance, he could hear the same sound reverberating off of something else.

But truth be calculated, the sound was growing dimmer and dimmer by the moment. The sound was an anomaly in his system that he had first defined as an error. Sending him data that he had not previously stored, only for it to disappear upon his attempt at recovery. Not to mention the coordinates… It took nearly everything in his system not to reject the noise to his malware protection systems. But as long as that loose wire sparked...

The sound stopped.

BX lurched to a halt, Nek lightly bumping into the sudden stationary object in front of him.

"What?" Nek said urgently, once again spinning to watch BX's back.

The droid did not respond, he was now interested in his sudden _lack_ of interest. The wire sparking in his head had gone dim.

BX turned in a circle, looking for something, anything that would make the interest begin again.

' _If the drive of interest does not begin again, the engineer will again begin his talking which I don't want to hear.'_ BX ran this train of thought through his mind before turning and, completely at random, yanked open one of the crates.

Nek let out a small whistle as a faint blue light was cast into the room.

Inside the crate, sat a single holocron.

The crate had been specially designed to hold just this one thing, and appeared to be weighed to feel heavier in the anti-grav registry screen.

"Nice going BX. How'd you know it was in there?" Nek asked as he carefully lifted the holocron out of the crate.

"Odds…" BX answered quietly with a very human shrug while staring at the crate.

" _Find what we came for?"_ Lerti's voice suddenly came over their comlinks.

"We found the holocron." BX answered.

" _Let's get out of here."_

The sound of metal grinding on metal shrieked out into the darkness.

Blaster fire rang out.

Nek cursed and, throwing the holocron into his backpack, ran to where they'd last seen Lerti.

BX's programming poised him to run, but suddenly his wire twitched and he looked at the lightsaber in his hand.

Blaster fire burst out in red light not far from him. He needed to move… but first.

Opening his back systems panel, BX wedged with difficulty, the lightsaber into his back before taking off.

Taking in the sounds of blaster fire and his crew mate's shouts combine with his life scan, BX picked out where the odd-ones-out stood.

Pistons in his legs and feet tensed.

BX launched himself upwards, he pushed off some of the stacked crates that became below him.

The "not crew member" was spotted in BX's flight off the crates and BX twisted his leg through the air as the ground came up to meet him.

The figure ducked and BX's foot snagged something that came flying off the figure's head. Tucking in his body as he connected with the ground, BX snatched the item off his foot and examined the wide brimmed hat he found in his claws.

"Hand the hat over junk pile, and I might consider letting you live after stealing my holocron." A metallically-garbled voice drawled as a blue wrinkled hand extended out from the figure standing across from BX.

BX's head shot up.

This time the wire didn't have to twitch, as raw memory data flooded his circuits with the voice match he had on file.

"Cad Bane, bounty-hunter employed under the Separtist Order." BX relayed.

"Formerly Separtist, currently Empire." He corrected nonchalantly.

"Wait, who?" Nek's voice struck out from where he and Lerti stood pushed up against the backs of two small crate walls, weapons still smoking.

The figure stepped slowly into the light, jet-boosters on his shoes clinking with each step. An old Duros emerged from the shadows, his blue skin was wrinkled and weathered. Around his neck was installed some sort of breathing device that ran metallic tubes from the square of his jaw to the center of his neck. His lipless mouth was pulled back into a scowl practiced over the ages, but his red eyes seemed to defy his age, piercing through his surroundings, swift and calculating.

BX readied himself.

"Am I supposed to know who this is!?" Nek again intervened.

The bounty-hunter smirked at this, and stopped to adjust the cuffs on his coat long, leathery trench-coat.

"No, no I suppose you wouldn't know me..." Bane paused, "But you will."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Blaster bolts rained, replacing the sounds of the storm outside.

The old bounty hunter hadn't given them the chance to speak again, he'd barely given them the chance to find cover before he created a maelstrom of his own within the confines of his antique shop.

Lerti and Nek had dove out of the way in opposite directions, readying themselves behind crates.

BX stood his ground.

Tossing the hat aside, the droid launched forward, fist extended.

Bane spun.

 _CLANG!_ BX's fist plunged into the metal crate that had backed Bane before BX twisted his leg through the air attempting to connect to where the bounty hunter had maneuvered to.

From the corner of his lens, BX watched the blue blur duck and roll beneath his swing.

The man was behind him.

BX turned to move.

The panels that made up his back suddenly cried out as damage receptors flared to life with the two impacts that struck BX numb.

The droid collapsed to the ground for the second time today, just barely managing to receive the data that told him the old Duros had retrieved his tossed hat back onto his head as he turned and walked away.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Lerti heard the loud metallic thump, she assumed to be BX, vibrate through the floor as blaster fire suddenly returned in full force.

' _He's just trying to spook us out, that's why he's not coming to us. Maybe he knows he can't take on two against one?'_ Lerti's mind raced.

In her time with her own clan, she'd heard of Cad Bane, but never in all of her time touring the galaxy had she wished she'd been paying more attention to what people gossiped about.

' _What are the odds…?'_ Lerti thought, shifting her weight as she remembered catching BX's monotoned worded drifting over the com's.

"Nek? We're going to need a distraction." Lerti spoke over her comlink softly as blaster fire still rained steadily down on her.

"I don't have visual on the bounty hunter, but I'll try and take out the turret gun!" Nek said hastily.

"Turret gun!?"

Lerti's eyes darted over her shoulder.

Sure enough a blaster turret had unfolded from a near invisible panel in the ceiling, that was what was shooting at her.

Lerti's head turned as she ducked back down.

A face. Inches from her own.

A hand shot out and threw the rest of his weight against her.

Lerti shot in front of her just before her helmeted skull smashed against the ground and the world pierced with white, searing light.

Clenching her teeth, Lerti pushed herself off the ground in a flurry of blind, dizzying clouds of pain and nausea.

She swung out her leg.

Nothing.

A fist suddenly knocked her across the face.

Lerti twisted her stance in the direction the blow had come from as her vision began clearing.

She found Bane standing only a foot away. Launching herself forward, she feigned a sweep of the leg before throwing her shoulder forward.

Her shoulder connected with his chest before an arm appeared around her neck and, what she guessed was a fist, buried itself in her kidney. She found herself doubled over but didn't remember again hitting the ground.

The world swam as she heard Nek scream.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Nek launched himself off the tops of the crate stack, vibroblade poised to strike. He plunged the simple staff adorned with adjacent twin blades down to strike the old blue man.

The Duros twisted as Nek struck.

Right before Nek's feet met the ground, he felt a tug on where his staff had dug into the air. Cad Bane suddenly had his grip on the staff. Nek's single foot hit the ground as Cad yanked the staff, swinging it's other sharp end into Nek's chest.

Nek stumbled back in off-balanced surprise, but hadn't released his grip on the blade.

He felt blood begin to leak from his chest where, luckily, only one of the sharp pommels had pierced him.

"You should really leave the sword swinging to the Jedi." the bounty hunter drawled, looking Nek up and down as he released his grip on the staff, "Speaking of Jedi, what are you three planning on doing with a Jedi holocron?"

Nek glanced at Lerti. She still lay on the floor, her head bobbing about as she attempted to raise it up but her helmet seemed to be imitating a block of stone attached to her neck. And BX…

Before Nek even had a chance to glance over his shoulder, Bane fired a shot inches from Nek's head and into the crate behind him. Nek jumped and locked eyes with Bane.

"Answer the question." Bane said with a sigh, almost as if he couldn't be bothered by any of them. "Not sure that crate of explosives behind you deserves to take another hit like that though. But I'll give it another go if it means filling you with shrapnel." Bane threatened as he backed a few steps away, slowly.

Nek's stomach dropped a floor and his mind raced.

' _I'm going to die. I'm going to die. Be brave? Stupid. Plea for mercy? He might not let you live. Going to die. Going to-'_

"Like I'd tell you!" Nek shouted.

' _Stupid.'_ Nek thought.

Lerti bellowed as her body suddenly pulled off the ground towards Bane.

A blue stun ray erupted from his blaster and Lerti's war cry was silenced as she fell to the ground in complete stillness.

Nek stared at her unmoving form for a moment before he noticed the metallic clanking sound rushing in from behind him.

BX dove over the crates that were stacked behind Nek, smoke still trailing from his haul. It was a wonder he could move let alone perform acrobatics.

Cad Bane smiled and pressed a button on a wrist gauntlet hidden under his sleeve.

BX's body lurched suddenly mid-air before flying up to stick to the ceiling.

Nek watched his happen and slowly turned his attention to the bounty hunter, "…Y-you couldn't have sprung for any floor mounted t-traps?"

The Duros motioned with his gun, "They're technically on the floor in my apartment."

Cad Bane aimed the barrel of his gun at Nek, a hand placed confidently on his belt.

"And now you know." Bane added as he pulled the trigger.

Blue light enveloped him, sucking Nek into darkness.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I opened my eyes as I pretended to lay stunned on the floor.

The game ended there for now. Everyone was sitting in darkness.

I sat up, feeling shocked.

"Should… Should we be worried about that?" I asked from the floor of the sparring room.

"I'm not sure, is that really what's going on?" Chol's gruff voiced asked from his sitting position on a nearby chair.

I'd set up shop in the sparring room, my papers lay strewn across the floor. Some of them rotting old temple papers, others freshly scribbled ideas from my own mind with the orb sitting on top of a pile of lightsabers I used to keep it from rolling around.

I shrugged at Chol, "It's not like I normally don't have other people around to test how accurate the things I think and say are. And it doesn't normally seem like these things are happening in real time. More like… past time I think."

Chol nodded and heaved himself to a standing position, "I'll let Soron know something might've happened, 'because of course it did,'" He added one of Soron's favorite sayings as he turned to leave the room.

"We need to go help them! Soron and Cenden might not get there in time!" I stood and ignited my own lightsaber.

"NO!" Chol cried out, taking a step back.

I felt fear wash over me as I switched off the saber.

"I-I mean, no." Chol's posture visibly relaxed as he cleared his throat, "You keep working on your… uh… homework."

At that, I felt my guide tangle about my limbs, an idea forming in my head. This was where I was needed I guess…

I watched Chol leave the room and I threw my lightsaber back down into its pile, "I guess I should play a game then…" I said as I put a finger to my lip in thought and squeezed my eyes shut.

' _Why is Chol scared of lightsabers? And this isn't HOMEWORK, it's RESEARCH… Homework is for school-people… School-people? That sounds sort of fun... I guess I can pretend this is homework and I'm at real school?'_ This shook the worried feeling right off as I gathered void-conjured, faceless classmates around me.

I snatched up a paper off the ground that I'd been reading on kyber-crystals, pushed my back against the wall, and bent my legs like I was sitting in a desk. Leaning over to the "kid" next to me, I whispered,

" _Pst! Hey Tiphanie! What'd you get for number S-12?"_

The faceless kid glanced at the front of the room before answering, " _I got: The meaning of the universe is 42."_

" _Huh… Well what'd you get for number 42?"_

"Ms. Alacritis! Passing notes again? Is there something you'd like to share with the class?" My faceless teacher barked as she hastened over.

"No Mrs. TheForce!" I said as my legs gave out from sitting against the wall. I stood from the ground as "my teacher" yanked the paper from my hand.

"Well we might as well read it now that you've disrupted everyone's time."

My freckles turned red as I felt the eyes of all my classmates staring at me.

My teacher put on her spectacles on her faceless-face and turned up her chin to make out the words. "You know we have tutoring time if you're struggling with the subject, Vis."

I winced at this, "I'm just… embarrassed I don't know the answer."

"You don't have to know the answer all on your own," she said before reading the excerpt of scroll, " _The crystal is, by itself, the power source of the weapon. Like the Force user, the crystal is attuned to the Force. Without that attunement, the crystal is just a rock. And while a non-Force user could probably ignite and wield a lightsaber, the crystal is needed to be properly attuned to the Force. But for a Jedi, the lightsaber becomes more: it is a manifestation of a Jedi's connection to the Force."_ Now. Who wrote this and why?"

I fidgeted, "I… I don't know."

"Well, let's ask another question. _WHEN_ was this written?"

Her faceless gaze was right in front of me now. She held out the paper for me to take, but I kept looking into the blur manifested by my mind even as I took the paper.

As my hand held the paper, I felt the Force building up in my head. I winced as the feeling grew painful. All I could hear was a ringing in my ears, and all I could see was the foggy blur slowly morphing, slowly combining. But I couldn't see anything…

' _I can't see anything…'_ I looked down wide-eyed at the paper, "I can't see anything! _CHOL! I NEED TO TALK TO CENDEN!_ "

I ran through the mist of people that didn't exist into the empty halls beyond. The scroll bit with histories of kyber-crystal still clutched in my hand.


End file.
